Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, marking his first month in office Thursday, issued an executive order granting East Chicago the disaster declaration Vice President Mike Pence, the state’s former governor, denied in December.
Pence’s administration denied the request, according to a Dec. 14 letter city officials released Jan. 18, citing a series of services the state had supplied to city officials to assist residents at the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site. City officials said then Mayor Anthony Copeland would submit a new request to Holcomb.
On Thursday, Copeland got his wish.
Holcomb signed an executive order declaring a disaster emergency for the East Chicago Superfund Site — 322 acres of land in that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified as having lead contamination.
Timeline: East Chicago lead crisis Colleen Connolly Colleen Connolly
The 30-day emergency declaration is focused on helping to relocate nearly 100 residents who remain at the West Calumet housing complex within the affected area and engaging with agency leaders in the new federal administration, according to the governor’s office.
"After months of local and state action to meet the safety, health and housing needs of these East Chicago residents, I’m declaring this disaster emergency in hopes that we can accelerate, coordinate and focus local, state and federal efforts and resources where they will have the greatest benefit," Holcomb said in a release.
The executive order also calls for the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority to create and maintain a web page that provides status updates, progress reports and other information on local, state and federal efforts, a release said.
Also, as part of the declaration, Copeland will provide a written assessment by March 5 of additional resources and services the city believes are needed — and any other federal resources that may be available — to assist with the area, the release said.
Copeland’s letter to Pence dated Dec. 1 originally requested the state’s assistance.
In his request, Copeland said the city needed more resources to address ongoing issues at the Superfund site as the city cannot handle all the cost itself.
"The residents of my city, my staff, other local officials and I have been laboring under conditions which are not of our making, but which cry out for help," Copeland wrote to Pence on Dec. 1.
Copeland noted, in the letter, that Indiana code defined a disaster as "being an occurrence or imminent threat of widespread severe damage, injury, loss of life or property damage from a utility failure, public health emergency, blight or other public calamity."
Panel cites educating citizens in lead awareness Tim Zorn
Problems with lead contamination stretch far beyond an East Chicago neighborhood, members of a regional group said Thursday.
The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission’s environmental committee heard and reacted to a presentation by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official who…
Problems with lead contamination stretch far beyond an East Chicago neighborhood, members of a regional group said Thursday.
The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission’s environmental committee heard and reacted to a presentation by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official who…
(Tim Zorn)
The resources of East Chicago are strained to the "point of breaking," Copeland wrote, and resources from the state are needed to adequately respond to the continuing crisis.
The reply from Pence’s office suggested a different approach.
"Given the level of coordination among federal, state and local agencies, the state resources provided to date and the resources available under the federal Superfund program, the issues described within your letter are being addressed without the need for a disaster emergency declaration," wrote Mark Ahearn, Pence’s general counsel, in a letter to Copeland. "Should new needs arise, we recommend that they be managed on a case-by-case basis to determine the best course of action."
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