The Indiana Chamber submitted comments opposing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “transport rule.” The rule is the result of a suit by northeastern states claiming that the states west of it are responsible to some degree for their particulate matter and ozone. Indiana business and industry has invested many billions of dollars in recent years to reduce the levels of a number of pollutants including particulate matter and ozone. There is data that shows that the northeast particulate and ozone levels are primarily coming from the northeast states themselves. These pollutant emissions from Indiana facilities are dropping and will likely continue to drop over time. The Chamber’s EPA comment letter states:

Before new rules are imposed on a still-weak economy, it makes more sense to recognize what improvements in air quality have already occurred under the Clean Air Interstate Rule. As we continue to climb out of the recession, the last thing that government should do is create additional costs to the economy without substantiated reasons. We applaud the EPA’s efforts to improve air quality for all Americans and to address downwind issues. Hasty action, however, will have economic consequences for our members without any assurance that the rule will deliver the desired results any faster than the nation can achieve on its current path. We urge the EPA to delay the transport rule until there is a clear indication that comparable results cannot be achieved through existing measures. The EPA also should establish realistic deadlines that will not punish electricity consumers.

Asian carp are a serious threat to the waterways of the Great Lakes, but the solution to their potential invasion must not create additional economic harm. 

The carp, which can weigh up to 100 pounds, are predators. They would threaten numerous fish species native to the area, the broader environmental balance and even boaters and tourists striving to enjoy recreational opportunities. Once positive contributors to helping remove algae from Southern fish ponds, they are now regarded as among the most dangerous of invasive species. 

One misguided attempt to deal with the risk is to close the navigational locks in the Chicago area. This would disrupt hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of shipping and essentially sever Northwest Indiana’s crucial water-based commerce with the rest of the world. 

Federal investment, in the form of additional electric barriers, would prove more effective in keeping the carp out of the Great Lakes while still allowing Indiana and the other states in the region to maintain the shipping prowess that benefits so many companies and their employees.

Washington is paying attention – as it should. The barrier plan emerged from a White House-led summit. Indiana and its neighbors must now work together to support this prudent alternative. The threat is real; a radical closure of shipping lanes and economic opportunity, however, is not the answer.

A new organization called Unlock Our Jobs has formed to tackle this issue, offering alternative options while keeping our waterways open for business. Its web site can also help you quantify the economic impact of river traffic and lock closures on your state.