Date Posted:12:46:09 08/11/03 Mon Author: mvd Subject: Some info on Indiana's environment In reply to:
Mt. Healthy Mountaineer
's message, "respect for the land?" on 18:53:47 08/10/03 Sun
Indiana is 21st in clean water, when compared with other states.
According to a state report, Bartholomew County ranks 2nd in the country for the most cancer-causing pollutants dumped into the air and water.
The air quality in Bartholomew County ranks in the top 30% for dirtiest nationwide. It ranks in the top 20% for volatile organic compound emissions.
Indiana is in the top 40% for hazardous land releases and underground injections.
And, from the Indiana Institute on Recycling:
Household trash on the roadside, white goods in a ditch, old chairs and couches dumped in the woods, each of these
scenarios are all too common place in our natural areas. Illegal dumping has plagued the Indiana environment for years. The vast and relatively unpopulated rural areas have been inviting bastions for those who want to shirk the responsibility of properly disposing of their solid waste in order to supposedly save a few dollars.
Indiana solid waste districts, the entities most associated with dealing with the problem of illegal dumping, have been
struggling with it for years.
My comments:
The problems are very real. And if you understand that the U.S. is the worst polluter in the world, then you will understand that Indiana is right up there for worldwide! I know we were talking mostly about litter and debris, but I think the two issues go hand in hand. Pollution and littering are just two symptoms of the same disease: disrespect for the environment upon which we all depend...
