Indiana Finance Authority

How Indiana defines a disadvantaged community could exclude some Black and Brown neighborhoods disproportionately harmed by lead.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will put more than $55 million toward the state's revolving loan fund, which provides loans to communities for things like replacing water and sewer lines.

The EPA says partial replacement doesn't reduce lead contamination and can sometimes make it worse.

Indiana will get $1 billion over three years in the deal with the private toll road operator. That comes with a one-time, 35 percent toll rate hike on commercial trucks, which has drawn sharp criticism from trucking companies.

Testing completed in May showed about 60 percent of the participating schools had at least one fixture with lead levels above that mark.

Schools in Boone, Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion and Shelby counties tested positive for lead levels above the EPA recommendation.

Indiana's lead testing program through the Indiana Finance Authority is stricter than some states. But, it's still voluntary.

The IFA will spend $3-4 million testing drinking water fixtures.

The action finalizes an agreement the state announced two weeks ago. Under the arrangement, the IFA will reimburse the developer's bondholders for $246 million and the Indiana Department of Transportation will take the project over by the end of July.

INDOT will assume primary control of Section 5 construction, between Bloomington and Martinsville, by the end of July.