Errington opposes passage of house bill 1383 in its current state

INDIANAPOLIS – Today, the Indiana House of Representatives voted to pass House Bill 1383 out of the House on final passage. The bill eliminates certain rulemaking requirements for wetlands by reducing protections for Class 3 wetlands.

State Rep. Sue Errington (D-Muncie) responded to the bill's passage with the following statement:

“Last week, I proposed an amendment to HB 1383 that would eliminate Indiana's classification system while still protecting our natural ecosystem. However, it was not voted on in committee. Without the amendment in place, our current classification system is still confusing and offers too much leeway for the removal of protected land.

“HB 1383 has been touted as a compromise between IDEM and builders, but I don't think compromise is a fair assessment. I find it deeply concerning that conservation groups were excluded from the equation when discussing solutions. How can this bill offer a true compromise without the input of all stakeholders? If builders had an opportunity to receive feedback from environmental advocates, we could have adopted effective regulations that are fair for developers, but also maintain Indiana's wetlands.

“In its current state, I cannot endorse HB 1383. There have been multiple studies warning about the ill consequences of wetland destruction. Our wetlands act as a natural sponge, protecting land from flooding. Once our wetlands are gone, who will bear the brunt of the costs needed to implement alternative flood mitigation measures? Most likely, the burden will fall on taxpayers. Instead of focusing on short-term development opportunities, we need to think about the long-term
impacts this will have on our state.

“On its own, this bill misses the mark in establishing clear, effective regulations protecting the further depletion of Indiana's wetlands. This is such an important issue, and I am frustrated that our legislature has once again, failed to properly enforce substantive environmental protections and procedures.”