Environmental Violations, Environmental Justice, Indiana 2024

Environmental crimes have plagued the state of Indiana, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. In a recent press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the public can now report environmental concerns to the government via email at USAINS-Environmental@usdoj.gov.

This new public reporting procedure is part of the Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, which aims to provide timely and effective remedies for systemic environmental violations and contaminations, as well as injury to natural resources in underserved communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened, including low-income communities, communities of color, and Tribal and Indigenous communities.

U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers stated, “Advancing environmental justice and public health through civil and criminal environmental enforcement are priorities of the Department of Justice.” He added, “We hope that concerned individuals and organizations in our community will partner with us and bring more of these matters to our attention. Together, we will work to reduce public health and environmental harms caused by violations of our laws and regulations—especially in underserved communities.”

The Office’s public reporting procedures complement the other avenues for reporting environmental concerns to the federal government, such as the online portal maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Taylor Kirklin, the Office’s Environmental Justice Coordinator, and Adam Eakman, the Environmental Crimes Coordinator, for their efforts in protecting the environment throughout the Southern District of Indiana and furthering the Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement goals.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the environment and promoting environmental justice in Indiana. With this new public reporting procedure, concerned citizens can now report environmental concerns to the government more easily. By working together, we can reduce public health and environmental harms caused by environmental crimes.

Defendant: No Defendant Identified | Crime: Environmental Violations and Environmental Justice | State: Indiana | Year: 2024

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