News

EC council blocks metal recycler near school

The East Chicago Common Council voted to block a proposed scrap metal recycling facility near schools, a stadium, and a hospital after the Conservation Law...
Stones put in place to try to halt the erosion of sand along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Ogden Dunes, Indiana, Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

Ogden Dunes drops beach revetment plan; opponents cheer access preservation

After a nearly two-year legal fight, Ogden Dunes officials have dropped plans for a stone revetment along the Lake Michigan shoreline. In June 2023, the...

Ogden Dunes abandons project to place stone erosion barrier in Lake Michigan

The Town of Ogden Dunes has abandoned its plan to build a stone erosion barrier in Lake Michigan after a nearly two-year legal fight with...
Rachel Schwartz and Michael Zoeller are attorneys with the Conservation Law Center.

Environmental legal aid program reach grows

The Conservation Law Center has expanded its environmental legal aid work in Northwest Indiana, adding attorney Rachel Schwartz to support community groups and residents facing...
People enjoy the beach on the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan, east of ArcelorMittal’s Burns Harbor steel mill. Credit: Kelly Wilkinson/The Star 2012 File Photo

Hoosiers living near steel mills will have to wait 2 more years for cleaner air

The EPA has delayed stricter pollution standards for steel mills for roughly two years, prompting lawsuits from environmental and community groups concerned about continued exposure...

7 agencies say why governor’s executive order is bad for Indiana environment

Seven Hoosier nonprofit agencies shared their concerns about Gov. Mike Braun's recent executive order that would lessen environmental regulations of Hoosier businesses and industries. Executive...

Gary resident sues commission for Open Door violations

A Gary resident has filed suit against the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission, alleging illegal private meetings, ineligible members, and an improper lease tied...

Advocates continue pushing back on AES discharges into White River near Martinsville

Hoosier Environmental Council is asking the Morgan County Circuit Court to overturn an administrative law judge’s order they say allows the utility to violate federal...

IDEM issues deregulation report under Gov. Braun’s orders. Advocates question need, impact

The state agency charged with protecting Indiana's environment and Hoosiers from industrial pollution completed its first step to “reduce excessive environmental regulation” and fulfill obligations...

Conservation Law Clinic students help draft new Indiana prescribed burn legislation

A new Indiana law that expands the state’s prescribed burning capacity was signed by Indiana Governor Mike Braun on April 30, in part due to...

Drawing a line in the sand: Ogden Dunes, state and federal agencies and preservation group differ

When Ogden Dunes began hardening the shoreline against Lake Michigan’s attacks, Save the Dunes drew a line in the sand. So did the Indiana Department...

Green Steel Committee hopes to clean up Region steelmaking

Local advocates are pressuring Northwest Indiana’s steel mills to adopt cleaner technologies and curb toxic emissions. They warn the mills are among the nation’s top...

New DNR fish and wildlife area highlights success of partnership with military, conservation groups

Nearly 4,000 acres in Sullivan County will become the new Busseron Creek Fish and Wildlife Area. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources was able to...

Indiana permanently protects 4,000 acres with new southern Indiana fish and wildlife area

Nature has reclaimed an old coal mine in southern Indiana, and state environmentalists have collaborated to ensure the land will belong to all Hoosiers. Indiana’s...

Funding Available to Landowners Through the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape

SISL’s overarching goals are to preserve and protect military missions, support sustainable farming and forestry, restore and sustain ecosystems, ensure thriving human communities, and improve...

New CAFO analysis tells us what we know and fear

A recent International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health report on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in the United States highlights a disturbing truth:...

Without sound water policy, Indiana’s economic future is down the drain

Water, essential to all life on the planet, is an abundant resource in Indiana. This alone puts Indiana in a resilient position as we navigate...

FEMA Joins the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership to Support Climate Resilience and Military Readiness

Today, the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership announces the addition of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to its Federal Coordinating Committee (FCC). The FEMA Office of...

Gary officials, environmental group react to Fulcrum Bioenergy bankruptcy filing

Fulcrum Bioenergy has declared bankruptcy, and a Gary environmental group is pleased by the news. The California-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sept. 9,...

A Forester’s Full Circle

Conservation work is largely relationship-driven. One of Central Indiana Land Trust’s longtime champions, Michael Spalding, was not only instrumental in expanding Meltzer Woods in 2020....

Funding Available to Protect Forestland Through the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape Project

State Conservationist Damarys Mortenson announced today that Indiana’s USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is making funding available to help landowners protect and restore key...