News Archive
Professor McCabe Warns of Relaxing Environmental Rules During Crisis
04/04/2020
Janet McCabe, IU McKinney Professor of Practice and Director of the IU Environmental Resilience Institute, responded to Indiana's environmental agency relaxing environmental enforcement for industries across the state in an April 3 story for the Indianapolis Star.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management, citing the difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, announced the policy change, following a similar announcement made at the federal level.
But Professor McCabe, a former IDEM Office of Air Quality official, and others say they worry industry could take advantage of the relaxed rules and potentially further endanger those who are already susceptible to the spreading disease by exacerbating respiratory illnesses, according to the Indianapolis Star story.
"We are talking about a respiratory illness here. I don’t want that to go unsaid," said Professor McCabe.
Indiana is a heavy industry state and already a top emitter. “More air pollution," she said, "will make it harder for people with the virus to recover." She said she hopes that companies will find they don’t actually need to take advantage of the relaxed rules.
Professor McCabe is a former Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation at the United States Environmental Protection Agency and was nominated by President Barack Obama to be Assistant Administrator of that office.
