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X-WR-CALNAME:IDEM Celebrates 40 Years of Environmental Protection in Indian
 a
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Indiana (East)
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260809T225632Z
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_53311012730381
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260701
DESCRIPTION:FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\nJuly 1\, 2026\n\nIDEM Celebrates 40 Year
 s of Environmental Protection in Indiana\n\nINDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana D
 epartment of Environmental Management (IDEM) is marking its 40th anniversa
 ry\, commemorating four decades of safeguarding Hoosiers and the environme
 nt. Founded on July 1\, 1986\, IDEM was established to implement federal a
 nd state environmental regulations while supporting the responsible operat
 ion of industrial\, agricultural\, commercial\, and governmental activitie
 s essential to a strong Indiana economy.\n\n“In the 40 years since IDEM
 ’s founding\, Indiana has seen dramatic progress in protecting our envir
 onment and natural resources\,” said Gov. Mike Braun. “Indiana is a he
 althier place to live\, work\, and raise a family. Strong stewardship has 
 positioned Indiana as a leader in environmental health\, economic opportun
 ity\, and an excellent quality of life for all who call our state home.”
 \n\nWhen IDEM was established\, Indiana unified its environmental programs
  under one agency\, strengthening the state’s ability to address environ
 mental challenges through consistent standards\, coordinated oversight\, a
 nd science based decision making. Since then\, the agency has grown into a
  robust operation responsible for issuing air\, water\, and solid and haza
 rdous waste permits\; inspecting and monitoring regulated facilities\; pro
 viding compliance and technical assistance\; assessing statewide environme
 ntal conditions\; enforcing environmental laws\; and responding to spills 
 that affect soil and water.\n\nHoosiers today benefit from the strongest p
 rotections for air\, land\, and water in state history. As environmental s
 tandards have become more stringent over the years\, IDEM has worked close
 ly with regulated entities to support compliance\, improve practices\, and
  achieve meaningful gains in environmental quality.\n\nOf note\, since 199
 0 IDEM has overseen a 79% reduction in criteria air pollutants including: 
 carbon monoxide\, lead\, nitrogen dioxide\, ozone\, particulate matter\, a
 nd sulfur dioxide. The agency has also shepherded transparency making more
  than 4 million agency public records including permitting documents and i
 nspection reports available for search via the Virtual File Cabinet. IDEM 
 has also garnered national recognition for permitting efficiency ensuring 
 businesses can move forward without unnecessary delays while ensuring citi
 zens benefit from clean air\, land\, and water.\n\nToday\, Indiana leads t
 he nation in per capita water sampling\, having assessed more than 43\,657
  miles of rivers and streams throughout the state\, promoting informed man
 agement of Indiana’s waterways and supporting long term environmental he
 alth. Just last year\, Indiana was noted by the U.S. EPA for leading the n
 ation in documented water quality improvement Success Stories.\n\nIDEM’s
  Office of Land Quality works to protect communities by overseeing cleanup
 s\, regulating waste\, preventing contamination from underground storage t
 anks\, and partnering with local governments and property owners to restor
 e formerly contaminated sites.\n\n“This 40 year milestone is a celebrati
 on not only of the nearly 800 Hoosiers who work for our agency today\, but
  of every person who came before us and was dedicated to ensuring responsi
 ble stewardship of our natural resources\,” said IDEM Commissioner Clint
  Woods. “Our environment is a shared resource\, and Hoosiers deserve our
  best effort to protect it. IDEM’s history demonstrates what is possible
  when science\, innovation\, and partnership come together for the benefit
  of public health and the environment.”\n\nThe 1985 Indiana General Asse
 mbly created IDEM under Title 13 of the Indiana Code. Title 13 created div
 isions for air and water pollution control\, solid waste management\, poll
 ution prevention\, administrative services\, and offices to handle environ
 mental emergencies\, public communication\, and investigations.\n\nOver th
 e decades\, IDEM staff have worked every day to ensure Indiana’s air\, l
 and\, and water remain protected\, and on this day Gov. Mike Braun has pro
 claimed July 1\, 2026\, as a day honoring the Indiana Department of Enviro
 nmental Management’s 40th Anniversary.\n\nIDEM extends its gratitude to 
 Hoosiers across the state for their continued partnership and support in h
 elping the agency fulfill its mission.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nClick image above t
 o view the proclamation.\n\n\nAbout IDEM: IDEM (idem.IN.gov) implements 
 federal and state regulations regarding the environment. Through complianc
 e assistance\, incentive programs and educational outreach\, the agency en
 courages and aids businesses and citizens to protect Hoosiers and the envi
 ronment.
LOCATION:
SUMMARY:IDEM Celebrates 40 Years of Environmental Protection in Indiana
URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.in.gov/event/idem-40th-anniversary
CATEGORIES:Press Releases
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