Indiana

Indiana environmentalists, manufacturers at odds over bill to protect toxic PFAS chemicals – Indiana Capital Chronicle

Published

2 years ago

February 20, 2024

Indiana environmentalists, manufacturers at odds over bill to protect toxic PFAS chemicals – Indiana Capital Chronicle

Environmental advocates sounded alarms at the Indiana Statehouse on Monday over a bill that would change the definition of toxic PFAS chemicals to exempt those which Hoosier manufacturers want to keep using.

HB 1399 seeks to carve out more than 5,000 “forever chemicals” from being defined as such by the state and its environmental rules board.

That means chemicals deemed harmful in other states would no longer carry the same designation in Indiana. Critics said the legislation could allow products that contain the toxic chemicals to be “wrongly” labeled as “PFAS-free.”

The bill was heard in the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee and drew nearly three hours of testimony and discussion. A vote was not held Monday but could take place next week.

Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper. (Photo from Indiana Senate Republicans)

PFAS are used to make a variety of nonstick, waterproof and stain-resistant products like cookware, cosmetics, carpets and clothing. Among other things, exposure to the chemicals has been linked to kidney cancer, problems with the immune system and developmental issues in children.

Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper, said “it’s not appropriate” to regulate all PFAS the same, though.

“We must be mindful that a number of industries utilize PFAS chemistries,” he said, mentioning the mining, building construction, drug manufacturing, biotech, energy and technology sectors as examples.

“The bill is designed to preserve the potential uses for these products and uses while focusing on future potential regulatory efforts on the PFAS chemistries that are of potential concern,” Messmer continued.

Proponents of the bill, which includes many in the chemical manufacturing industry, say the change is needed to preserve uses of PFAS in “essential” items like lithium batteries, laptop computers, semiconductors, pacemakers and defibrillators. Even so, state regulators have yet to propose a prohibition on those uses.

“If the bill doesn’t pass, nothing happens — we go back to business as usual. But if it does, it opens up the door to a lot of potential issues,” said Marta Venier, a professor and environmental chemist at Indiana University. “Think about the broader picture and the long term effects that passing the bill can have. We’re thinking about the benefits of bringing a few more jobs. But let’s also think about the hidden costs of the use of PFAS, which are the health effects that, actually, taxpayers are paying through all the costs of remediation of water.”

Exposing Hoosiers to ‘dangerous’ chemicals

The proposal seeks to proactively exempt the chemicals in case state or federal regulators try to ban them in the future. It previously passed out of the House in a 64-30 vote, along party lines.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances commonly called “forever chemicals,” as “widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time” — to the tune of thousands of years.

During production and use, PFAS can migrate into the soil, water and air. Because of their widespread presence, many PFAS are found globally in the blood of people and animals. The chemicals are also present at low levels in a variety of food and consumer products.

But numerous scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS is dangerous to human and animal health, causing reproductive issues, immune system suppression, organ damage and endocrine disruption.

(Image from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Venier said Indiana already has a “perfectly good definition of PFAS.” Changes proposed in the bill “have not been approved by the scientific community.”

“We want batteries, we want medical devices. Yes, we all want all of that. We are not saying that we should remove (PFAS chemicals). We’re just saying to not change the definition of PFAS,” Venier said, noting lawmakers could instead grant exemptions for particular PFAS chemicals and uses.

University of Notre Dame professor Graham Peaslee, recognized in Monday’s committee as another nationally recognized PFAS expert, further warned that PFAS chemicals are “very hard to remove from the environment once they’re there.”

PFAS “hotspots” — created when manufacturing activities leach chemicals into local water sources — have “tremendous” cleanup costs that are largely borne by taxpayers, he said.

“If this bill has its intended purpose … we’ll get another company here that is trying to avoid the wastewater regulations in California by moving to Indiana, bringing us some jobs. But what will that cost us?” Peaslee asked. “It will cost us if they put more pollution into the water or into our irrigation water or into our foods. It will cost us not only public health … but it will cost us dollars to clean it up.”

“At the moment, we are going to need more dollars than we’ve ever spent on any other cleanup,” he continued. “Think about that money we’re spending on lead right now. … Any more PFAS we put into the state will take forever to get out. It just doesn’t go away.”

Any more PFAS we put into the state will take forever to get out. It just doesn’t go away

– University of Notre Dame professor Graham Peaslee

Although most who testified on the bill — both for and against — agreed that “essential” uses of PFAS should be exempt until better alternatives are available, environmental advocates argued for lawmakers to adopt specific exemptions in the current law, rather than changing the definition of thousands of other PFAS chemicals.

The bill’s author, Rep. Shane Lindauer, R-Jasper, said earlier in the legislative session that the bill is written in a way so lawmakers don’t have to add exceptions to the law every year.

But Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend, maintained “there is an urgent need to reduce human exposure to PFAS.”

“Other states are looking for efficient and effective ways to reduce the use of toxic chemicals to protect the public’s health, led by firefighters, farmers and families with children. Indiana is going to do the opposite,” said Bauer, who last year led a successful effort to pass legislation aimed at protecting firefighters from PFAS chemicals used in protective equipment.

Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, added that the bill appears to be a solution seeking a problem.

Industry wants continued PFAS use

But Andrianna Moehle, with the Indiana Manufacturers Association, said there aren’t good alternatives for PFAS in manufacturing essential items like medical devices and pharmaceuticals, as well as in the automotive and steel industries.

“This definition (in the bill) ensures a robust, stable and domestic supply chain remains intact,” she said.

Moehle noted, too, that although Indiana is unlikely to ban PFAS chemicals, “it’s a given” that the federal government will require states to regulate PFAS, “and we want to be prepared.”

“Manufacturers prefer to operate in environments of certainty and predictability because we plan for investments years down the road. And our investments consist of technology and facilities that are not able to be moved easily, therefore making regulatory certainty and predictability of utmost importance and the reason that we need this bill now,” Moehle said. Having this definition in place ensures that future regulations use the proper definition without unintended consequences.”

Steve Risotto, with the American Chemistry Council, defends a House Bill dealing with the definition of PFAs chemicals. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Three representatives from the American Chemistry Council (ACC) — an industry trade association for chemical companies — also testified Monday in support of the bill. They maintained a focus on “future regulatory efforts” of select PFAS chemicals “that have been shown to cause adverse health effects.”

“Not all PFAS chemistries are the same, and therefore, it’s not appropriate to regulate them all the same,” said Mathew Norris, speaking on behalf of the ACC. This bill strikes the right balance by focusing on those PFAS chemistries that are most likely to cause adverse health effects, while preserving products and uses that are vital to Hoosiers and Hoosier industries.”

Steve Risotto, also with the chemistry council, said universally, not all PFAS chemicals pose risks to humans “because you are talking about thousands of chemistries, many of which don’t break down in the body.”

He clarified that the group does not, however, “advocate widespread release of these products.”

“We encourage our companies to control their releases to the greatest extent possible … because it is the right thing to do,” Risotto said.

The bill has also received support from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Indiana corn and soybean growers.

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Indiana

Creole Chrome Looks for Graded Glory in Indiana Derby

Published

1 hour ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

Creole Chrome Looks for Graded Glory in Indiana Derby

After Three Diamonds Farm’s Creole Chrome got bounced around by some of the country’s best and fastest 3-year-olds, trainer Joe Sharp thought a confidence-builder was in order before heading to Saturday’s $300,000, Grade 3 Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Would an 18-length romp work? That was Creole Chrome’s winning margin against fellow Louisiana-breds in Evangeline Downs’ Louisiana Legends Cheval Stakes at a two-turn mile on June 6.

“Mission accomplished,” Sharp said by phone from Saratoga. “He came out of the race in really good order. We wanted to try taking the blinkers off and going back to a stretch-out. He was able to relax nicely going into the first turn, set off those two horses, and I think he made the lead just on class alone. But he just seemed real comfortable, within himself, and you know that gave him some confidence to try a little bit deeper water again.”

That comes in the 1 1/16-mile Indiana Derby, where Creole Chrome is among the leading contenders in what shapes up as a field of seven 3-year-olds. A chestnut son of Three Chimneys’ Grade 1-winning Kentucky stallion Volatile, Creole Chrome was foaled in Louisiana and began his career winning three of four starts against Louisiana-breds at the Fair Grounds.

That encouraged his team to take a shot at Keeneland’s Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass, where a win or second could have secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby. Creole Chrome finished fourth, with Further Ado rolling to an 11-length victory. Instead of the Derby, Creole Chrome ran the same day in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile around one turn. He again was up close early before weakening to sixth.

“I think we asked him to be quick, to be close in a couple of spots,” Sharp reflected. “It was kind of a reset to go down to Louisiana and try something different, and it all worked out well.

“We were obviously expecting to win the race, but we were also trying to use it as a building block to set us up for this race here. What we were hoping to accomplish was to be able to sit, just be able to settle a little bit early. And that’s what we saw; that’s what we were happy with. Obviously, as the waters get deeper, you can’t be one-dimensional if you want to take on more upper levels of competition.”

Sharp said Creole Chrome was too much on the engine in the Blue Grass.

“That was the first time he’d gotten a little bit keen on us,” he said. “I kind of gave Tyler (Gaffalione) instructions that probably were bad. Because I was anticipating him to be able to kind of squeeze away from there, get a good position, and then the horse would relax for him. Once he squeezed on him, he didn’t relax and just never really shut off. Same thing back to the Pat Day Mile, Irad (Ortiz) had ridden him in the morning, had a lot of confidence in him. When he broke and asked him to get position, he wouldn’t get off the bridle and then was five-wide — just not the way you can win a big race. So yeah, I think we all just kind of learned something about the horse. That’s why the race in Louisiana was important, just to explore a new tactic with him.”

Creole Chrome will have his sixth different rider in six races (Timothy Thornton rode him at Evangeline Downs), with Ortiz riding the Brad Cox-trained Leading Change, who could be made the Indiana Derby betting favorite off an impressive debut race. Sharp was able to get another nationally prominent jockey in Junior Alvarado, winner of the 2025 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes on Horse of the Year Sovereignty. Alvarado was coming to Horseshoe Indianapolis to ride Star Actress in the $200,000, Grade 3 Indiana Oaks for trainer Bill Mott.

“He’s never going to be a horse that’s far back, right?” Sharp said. “We’re not going to fight him if he’s on the lead. But just the ability to shut off and relax is what he seemed to really show that he could do in that last race at Louisiana.”

Sharp is among those who think the public will make Leading Change the favorite off his 6 1/2-length maiden win at Churchill Downs, even if it’s his only start and came at seven furlongs.

“We ran second to Brad’s horse in that maiden race at Churchill Downs, and we liked our horse (Don’s Winner) a lot,” Sharp said. “So, I was impressed by his horse that day. Obviously, Creole has a lot more seasoning, so hopefully the race experience will help him out, because you know Brad’s horse is not short of ability.”

Ortiz seconds that opinion of Leading Change, opting to come to Indiana to ride instead of being at Saratoga.

“He won nicely the first time out in the debut,” Ortiz said up at Saratoga. “He is very straightforward and has a good mind. I was working him last year and, unfortunately, he did not make the races (as a 2-year-old). He was working good, and he has looked like a nice horse since Day One. First time out, the way he did it was impressive.

“Obviously, he just broke his maiden. But he can step up a little bit with some nice horses.”

Sharp does get the services of Ortiz aboard Miwa, one of the favorites in the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly Distaff Handicap on the Indiana Derby undercard. Miwa won a Churchill Downs allowance race in her first start since November.

“She ran a great race back off the layoff the other day,” he said. “She was really, really good to us at Kentucky Downs. She won down there, and I wheeled her back in eight days, and she ran third in a $2 million stakes. In hindsight, that kind of wiped her out for the year. She was kind of a little flat after that, so they freshened her, brought her back, and she ran a huge race. We’re trying to get her a stakes win, get her some black type.”

Sharp also has the stakes-winning Seminole Chief in the $100,000 Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial for older males on turf. In his first start for Sharp last time out, Seminole Chief won a $75,000 claiming race at Churchill Downs.

“He’s obviously has the back class to be competitive against these kinds,” Sharp said. “I thought he ran one of his best races in recent years the other day. So, staying local and giving him a little shot at picking up some more black type made sense. But I thought that race came up pretty tough.”

Indiana Derby Day begins at 12 p.m. for the 13-race card. Additional activities surround the event trackside, including a $3,000 Indiana Derby Megabet drawing, $2,500 Indiana Derby Day Legends contest sponsored by Indiana HBPA, and a $1,000 Indiana Derby Hat Contest. Fans will also be treated to a cigar rolling station, selfie station, and face painting for the kids. Food trucks and various booths will also be available throughout the day, leading up to the Indiana Derby set as Race 12 on the program.

The 24th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse extends through Friday, November 13. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.

This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.

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Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark

Published

11 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark

PHOENIX — The Indiana Fever barely eked out of Mortgage Matchup Arena with a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night on the second night of a back-to-back.

Caitlin Clark (rest) did not play after making her return on a minutes restriction on Wednesday against Los Angeles. Aliyah Boston, who missed the game against L.A. for precautionary reasons, finished with 19 points and eight rebounds against the Mercury.

Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting, adding on eight assists. She hit the game-winning layup with 10 seconds left. Tyasha Harris finished with 15 points and five assists, including a stretch of nine of 11 Fever points to close the gap.

Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas had 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Kahleah Copper added 22 points and five rebounds.

Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.

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What I liked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury

Early 3-point shooting: One of Boston’s main focuses this offseason was improving her 3-point shot, and it’s coming to fruition. She made two 3-pointers in the first quarter, helping lead the Fever to six total makes beyond the arc in the opening 10-minute period. Harris, starting in place of Clark, had two 3-pointers in the first quarter, as well, with Lexie Hull and Mitchell each making one. At the time, it was big for the Fever to maintain a lead.
Roaring back in the third quarter: Basketball is a game of runs, and the Fever embodied that. They led by 12 in the first, then trailed by four at halftime, then went on a 20-9 run over seven minutes in the third quarter to take a one-point lead by the end of the third. Mitchell was the one to lead that comeback, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting along with three assists in that quarter. The third was crucial for the Fever not just to get back into the lead, but, especially on a back-to-back, to try and have the mental fortitude to close the game out.
Tyasha Harris coming in clutch: Harris’ role has expanded since Clark has been out (or limited), and she is making the most of her minutes. She scored nine points in the fourth quarter alone, including a 3-pointer with three minutes left to take the lead, then four straight points to give the Fever the lead again with 44 seconds left. She finished the game with 15 points and five assists, being the facilitator the Fever need while Clark recovers.

What I disliked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury

Second-quarter slide: For the second straight game, the Fever held a double-digit lead in the first quarter then were trailing by halftime. The Fever allowed the Mercury to shoot 12 of 20 from the field in the second quarter (and 5 of 8 from 3-point range), completely negating the Fever’s six 3-pointers from the first quarter. Phoenix went on a 12-2 run over the final three minutes of the quarter, too, taking advantage of the Fever’s off the mark shots.
Silly mistakes: In a close game like this, every possession matters. And every mistake compounds. The Fever had a few in the second half, including a shot-clock violation from Harris where she wasn’t even in shooting motion yet, a defensive three-seconds foul from Aliyah Boston, a backcourt violation from Kelsey Mitchell, and another shot clock violation from Raven Johnson to start the fourth quarter. All of those mistakes gives Phoenix extra points or extra possessions. While the Fever ultimately won the game, it made it closer than it needed to be.

What the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury means

Indiana (13-9) is a strong team offensively, but recently, the Fever haven’t been able to get out of their own way on defense. It showed in the runs they gave up to Phoenix, flip-flopping the lead and forcing the Fever to continue to play from behind. It worked out for Indiana this time around, finding what they needed when they needed it, but it won’t be sustainable long term.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.

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Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting

Published

22 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis on an attempted murder charge after police say he fired seven to eight rounds into a white GMC SUV occupied by three adults and four children last month in Bloomington before fleeing the area.

A news release issued Thursday from the Bloomington Police Department said members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s special weapons and tactics team took Kafern P. Johnson, 32, into custody near the intersection of West 84th Street and Allison Avenue in Indianapolis without incident.

The arrest came more than two weeks after the June 23 shooting in the 1000 block of North Summit Street. That’s in a residential area next to Crestmont Park in Bloomington.

Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch received 911 calls at 7:41 p.m. June 23 reporting gunfire in the area.

Responding patrol officers and detectives determined Johnson had fired into the SUV following a verbal fight with the vehicle’s driver. Police said the dispute stemmed from an argument over a relationship.

No injuries were reported despite the number of people inside the vehicle.

Following his arrest, Johnson was taken to an IMPD facility for questioning and later booked into the Marion County jail. On Thursday morning, he was booked into the Monroe County jail.

The release said Johnson could face felony charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a firearm, and pointing a firearm. No formal charges have yet been filed, according to online court records.

Bloomington police asked anyone with additional information to call 812-349-3324.

This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.

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