City to Conduct Air Quality Hearing

(posted Jan 23)

The Office of Environmental Services is conducting a public meeting on January 28 at 6:30 pm in the City-County Public Assembly Room to discuss the future of air quality programs.

Some Marion County residents expressed their displeasure in late 2008 with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management nixing its permitting ties with Indianapolis and five other local air pollution agencies in order to save $2 million.

Contracts with Indianapolis, Evansville and Anderson expired December 31, and contracts with Gary, Hammond and Vigo County will be canceled as of March 31, 2009.

Department of Public Works Public Relations Officer Steven R. Hardiman II said "on January 1, the city and IDEM began an agreed upon two month transitional period. We're currently continuing work with IDEM to ensure the smoothest possible transition in our goal to keep improving quality in Marion County and making Indianapolis one of the healthiest, most livable cities in the Midwest."