BizVoice July/August 2017

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July/August 2017 – BizVoice/Indiana Chamber 59
RESOURCES: Carey Hamilton, Indiana Recycling Coalition, at | Paul England, Pratt Industries, at |
Peter Zurkow, Perpetual Recycling Solutions, at | Stephen Hogan at GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana | Jay Chu and Lawrence
Bowlin, East-Terra Plastics, at | Rumpke Waste & Recycling at
Bowlin chimes in with a chuckle: “I really
want to stress that it’s a free service. Believe
me, I’ve had to tell the farmers multiple times,
‘It’s free! We’re not going to charge you.’ ”
The day BizVoice® spoke with Bowlin and
Chu, interviews were underway to start
hiring and training the crew to perform the
collections in all 92 counties in Indiana.
“All of that plastic we collect, we’ll track
what county it came from. We’ll track
poundage. And it will be brought back to our
facility where we will re-wash and re-clean
it,” Bowlin declares. “We already have an
industrial end use for it. We already have
another line of business for that ground-up
and granulated plastic for another user.”
With the agricultural plastics recycling
program, “it’s about educating not just the
farming community, but people in solid waste
management districts that we’re here, letting
them know our presence to try to maximize
participation. I think 2017 is going to be a
huge year for Indiana recycling!”
Over the last four years, Indiana has taken careful
steps to guarantee that any change in policy on water
supplies and infrastructure is backed by valid data and
information. In 2012, the General Assembly passed
legislation that directed the state to collect data on how
utilities planned for changes in water supply.
In 2015, there was a survey of water utilities in the
largest 15 communities, along with five smaller
systems, that found near unanimous interest in planning
for the future and knowing more about the growing
withdrawals of neighboring water users.
After the catastrophe in Flint, Michigan, the state
conducted another survey that included almost every
community water system in Indiana. The purpose was
to understand how each one invested in replacement of
aging infrastructure and how well each system understood
water losses due to leaking, aging infrastructure.
Survey says
The results were staggering.
The 2016 survey found that the need for infrastructure
vastly outpaces investments. Collectively, we need more
than $2.3 billion to begin replacing the aging pipes,
treatment plants and fire hydrants that treat and deliver
water in our communities. Further, after that initial
replacement, using basic assumptions about how fast
pipelines and plants depreciate, the utilities across the state
need more than $800 million per year in new funding.
This same survey showed that small systems are
both more expensive to operate and less resilient to the
changes that are affecting health and safety.
This year, while no funding was dedicated to water
infrastructure, the legislature was active in addressing
water policy. In anticipation of a federal infrastructure
bill, legislation was passed to set up an infrastructure
assistance fund for utilities. The Indiana Finance
Authority is directed to investigate the future needs of
the utilities and determine their ability to provide water
for growing populations.
Another bill directs the state to set up a transboundary
groundwater authority to avoid interstate conflict that
has become a problem among neighboring states.
Finally, legislation was passed to allow utilities to look
further ahead when developing new supplies and, if
needed, make it affordable to replace lead service lines
so homeowners can be confident the water they drink is
as pure as what comes from the water treatment plant.
Taking the next steps
All of these bills move the state in the right
direction, but eventually we need to manage Indiana’s
water resources. That task is complicated by the fact
that Indiana has more than 500 water utilities, but less
than 100 of them are under the jurisdiction of the
Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
As a riparian state, users can withdraw what they
need. On the other hand, it makes sense that the state
provides information about growth rates in use and
even how that use affects the various watersheds
existing in Indiana. This will allow the many water
users to adapt their behavior to the circumstances.
Protecting the economy means making sure that
utilities manage our water resources together. Protecting
agricultural production in the state means helping
farmers see how often they can pump and how closely
they can install new irrigation wells. We need experience
tracking use in watersheds to ensure Indiana can thrive.
The future of Indiana is bright. We have plenty of
water, but we need to become better stewards as we
seek to maximize the benefits of our regionally
abundant water supplies.
State Sen.
Ed Charbonneau
AUTHOR: Ed
Charbonneau has served
in the Indiana Senate since
2007. He represents
portions of Jasper, LaPorte,
Porter, Pulaski and Starke
counties. Learn more at
www.indianasenate
Indiana Water Policy
Looking Toward the Future
Since the drought in 2012, Indiana has been working to clarify water policy in a way that
ensures clean, safe drinking water for all Hoosiers while protecting our manufacturing and
agricultural economy.
GUEST COLUMN
Recycling
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