Take Action Today: Urge Local Officials to Oppose Mounds Dam Project 
Last week was the first stage in a series of local government votes on the Mounds Lake Commission, a new governmental entity proposed to study and plan a dam and reservoir on the West Fork White River. In great news, the Delaware County Council and the Delaware County Commissioners voted not to take part in the Commission, and in bad news, the Anderson City Council preliminarily approved participation in the Commission. Other local units will soon consider their role going forward. Please contact these officials and urge them to vote NO on the Mounds Lake Commission, particularly if you live in one of these communities.
And plan to attend the Community Forum for Reservoir Concerns to be held TODAY, June 2nd at Anderson University Byrum Hall from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, where HEC will be presenting the Mounds Greenway plan.
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HEC Helps Urban Community Avoid Polluting Factory Farm
HEC took action when we learned that the owner of the Pig Adventure at Fair Oaks Farms planned to construct a massive hog factory less than a mile outside of Valparaiso. First we organized an informational meeting to make sure nearby residents understood the well-known public health, environmental, economic and quality of life concerns associated with factory farms and how to effectively participate in the relevant zoning process. We also met with local leaders, helped organize the broader community, and provided legal and technical assistance to affected landowners.
Due to our efforts, a massive opposition emerged that convinced the developers to withdraw their plans. This is great news for the hundreds of families who would have been living dangerously close to 7,000 confined hogs and their waste -- families who rely on groundwater wells for drinking water, the Kankakee River watershed, and for everyone who enjoys Valparaiso's newly revitalized downtown area that would have been downwind. This victory is also a great example of what can be achieved when people come together to protect the environment and their communities.
Please support HEC's continuing statewide efforts to protect our air, land, water and communities from factory farms.
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Rural Community, with HEC Support, Gaining Greater Insights into Toxic Threats
 Blackford County, located 20 miles north of Muncie, has a complex industrial history reaching back to the oil and gas boom of the 1880s. HEC's Environmental Health Project Director, Dr. Indra Frank, is spearheading a project to help Blackford County Concerned Citizens identify environmental exposures from its industrial legacy that could increase the risk of cancer or neurologic disease.
The project has included mapping the county's industrial history using GIS software, testing private wells near contaminated sites, and testing soil for lead and arsenic left behind by the glass industry. The wells tested so far have met US safe drinking water standards, much to the relief of the well owners. The soil testing has revealed focal lead and arsenic at glass factory sites, but mostly below the surface where it does not pose an immediate exposure risk.
HEC was able to bring in generous donations of effort from the Indiana State Department of Health labs, EnviroForensics, Pine Environmental, Envision Laboratories, and students from IUPUI and IPFW to make all of this work possible. Grant support was provided by the Blackford County Community Foundation.
Click here to learn more about our work in Blackford County. |
