IDEM in Kosciusko County
Wednesday night, IDEM supervisor Mike Aylesworth, environmental manager Mike Dunn, and inspector Randy Jones appeared at a public meeting in Kosciusko County to talk about plans to construct what will be the 16th biggest hog CAFO in the state. The report in the local press reflects a fairly standard public session with IDEM officials attempting to educate the public on the actual role IDEM plays in this process. IDEM made clear that they do not test lake water, do not control odor, do not deal with noise, and do not regulate air emissions.
I think Randy Jones, the inspector for IDEM, had the most succinct description of what IDEM DOES do:
We make our decisions on what an operator tells us. We can’t verify everything. We can’t go into the buildings. We inspect the manure and soil test records, and we have to assume they’re being honest with us.
Link.
Aylerworth said a bigger focus for IDEM at this point was combined sewer and stormwater systems in the state, claiming that 40% of the nation’s combines sewer-stormwater pollution occurs in Indiana.
