INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has released a report detailing plans to reduce environmental regulations in the state, following an order from Gov. Mike Braun.

The report outlines ten initial proposals to cut red tape, including streamlining certain permits and reducing requirements for emissions reduction plans.

“We need to unleash the productive side of our economy, while protecting and preserving our state’s natural resources,” Braun said in a statement. “Federal laws like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act establish baseline national standards for environmental protection, and states implement those standards within their borders.”

Braun directed IDEM to find ways to lessen regulation to encourage development, following an executive order in March stating Indiana will not exceed federal regulations unless required by state law or deemed necessary by the governor’s office.

David Van Gilder, senior policy and legal director for Hoosier Environmental Council, worries it’s a step in the wrong direction.

“The very premise of the governor’s executive order on this and some others is wrong,” Gilder said. “Many states who have much more protective environmental regulations than Indiana are booming economically, and they are booming because they are protective of their people from environmental harms.”

Some of IDEM’s recommendations extend beyond the state level, outlining how the state can collaborate with federal agencies. Gilder warns over-reliance on federal laws could effectively weaken protections if the Trump administration rolls back regulatory enforcement and the size the EPA.

You can read the full report from IDEM by clicking this link or reading below.

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