Op/Ed: Indiana leaders ignore air, water pollution, public health for economic development
There seems to be a lot of different viewpoints when it comes to the subject of how Indiana should use the money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Some are upset that the current administration is spending so much money, adding to our debt. Yet it is interesting to note that if these monies were used as intended to maintain and repair existing roads and bridges, the money divided over the five-year period of the bill would only cover the cost of fixing 20,000 miles of the 173,000 plus U.S. miles identified in poor condition and repair only 10,000 of the 45,000 U.S. bridges in poor condition, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. At this rate, even if all the funds were used for this intended purpose, after five years the number of other roads and bridges needing repair would just continue to escalate, making it difficult to ever catch up.
This is a phenomenon that is the result of congressional inaction over the past three to four decades. Still, to this day there are 16 states, including Indiana, that want to be able to use those funds to build new roads, highways and fund other projects. Afterall, Indiana is the Crossroads of America, and we need more roads, according to INDOT, which includes the Mid-States Corridor in southern Indiana. Indiana already has the 6th most miles of roadway per square mile of land in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Transportation which includes 12,000 miles of Interstate roads and 66,000 miles of county roads.
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This is all happening while Indiana’s current leadership and legislators are ignoring the critical need to protect our fragile environment, preserve our productive farmland and start reversing years of decisions that have resulted in some of the poorest water and air quality, pollution and public health. Indiana currently sits at 48th in state ranking for natural environment which measures air and water quality and pollution as reported in the Indiana Governor’s Health Commission current state of public health in Indiana study.
Instead, their focus is all on “economic development” and continues to be influenced by big business that wants to build a coal-to-diesel plant in Dale, clear cut forests for timber sales and build unnecessary new terrain highways like the Mid-States Corridor. All while doing next to nothing to clean up the toxic coal ash pits, of which five of the worst unsafe pollutants are in the southern Indiana area including Petersburg, Gibson County, Posey County, Warrick County and Rockport, pass a bill that no longer protects our wetlands and entertains efforts to allow “renewable” natural gas facilities that foster more dependence on fossil fuel energy versus true renewable energy efforts.
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Looking at all the projects and initiatives being considered or proposed in Indiana, leadership needs to step up and ask why the state isn’t evaluating all these projects collectively to determine the right path and the right balance that will improve our existing infrastructure as intended and at the same time protecting our environment, saying no to proposed new projects like the Mid-States Corridor, improving our air and water quality and mitigating our climate issues. It is time to be better stewards of our land and work towards becoming a healthier Indiana.
Mark Nowotarski, an environmental and climate advocate, is a retired business strategist and active member of the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter, Hoosier Environmental Council, Indiana Forest Alliance and the Coalition Against the Mid-States Corridor.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana must balance infrastructure needs and protect the environment
