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A House committee Wednesday unanimously approved a bill aimed at making sure Indiana has an emergency response plan for contaminated water. But the committee also rejected an attempt to broaden the bill’s protections.
The legislation requires owners of above ground storage tanks that are near a public water source to report what’s in those tanks – such as hazardous chemicals. And it forces public water utilities to develop emergency response plans for tank spills. The requirements apply to tanks within a quarter of a mile of a water source.
A proposed amendment would have widened that area to a half mile for tanks around Lake Michigan. Hoosier Environmental Council policy director Tim Maloney says the lake is a critical environmental and economic resource.
“We should do anything we can to make sure spills are prevented to the maximum extent,” Maloney said.
The northwest Indiana steel company ArcelorMittal is one company that would be required to report more tanks under the half mile rule than the quarter mile. Its lobbyist Miriam Dant says extending the distance is arbitrary.
“Well, it sounds like it would be twice as protective because it’s twice as far," Dant said. "I’m not sure that’s really the case.”
The amendment was defeated six to four. The bill now heads to the House floor.
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