Letters to the Editor do not reflect the opinions of The Reporter, its publisher or its staff. You can submit your own Letter to the Editor by email to News@ReadTheReporter.com.
Dear Editor:
Indiana is the second-worst state for toxic chemical pollution and its long-term health effects, according to the EPA.
As a Hamilton County resident since birth, I’ve never known the realities of toxic pollution that thousands of other Hoosiers have to breathe and drink every day. I’ve never worried about lead in my water, like some Hoosiers in East Chicago. I didn’t see my neighbors fall victim to rare childhood cancers like in Martinsville or Franklin.
If we let these life-threatening problems caused by contamination continue to be the norm, then we are complicit in sabotaging the health of our state and the lives of thousands.
Moreover, there is a bill in the Indiana legislature that will make this worse. Senate Bill 73 would eliminate the option to anonymously report potential environmental violations to IDEM. This effectively slashes the whistleblower protection that is essential to keeping polluters accountable and key to safeguarding public interest.
This is exactly the kind of bill we don’t need.
Call your legislators today and tell them that we don’t want this kind of legislation now or ever. As a community, let’s hold our legislators accountable to our health and the future of our state.
Stephanie Zhang
Carmel