'Last line of defense': New bill would strip protections for many of Indiana's wetlands [View all]

Indiana has already lost 85% of the wetlands it once had a century ago, many drained for farming and development. Now, environmentalists, engineers and residents are concerned that the few wetlands that remain are under threat.

A new bill proposed this legislative session would repeal the state’s wetlands law, stripping protections for many of the wetlands that still exist across Indiana. Those who support Senate Bill 389 say it’s needed to remove red tape for builders and developers.

Wetlands are critical to the landscape, according to experts. They help absorb water and prevent flooding, they recharge groundwater resources — which provide a majority of Indiana’s drinking water — and they filter water as it soaks into the ground.

The Clean Water Act protected many of Indiana’s wetlands until last year, when changes by the Trump administration left as much as half of them without federal cover.



https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/politics/last-line-of-defense-new-bill-would-strip-protections-for-many-of-indianas-wetlands/article_a00bddee-6251-11eb-bfcc-2fa3346775df.html