Residents in Jasper County are expressing significant concerns over potential environmental and public health impacts if the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Office of Water Quality approves a new NIPSCO permit. Barb Deardorff, a resident of Kankakee Township, voices her apprehension over the potential decrease in property value, but her main worries focus on public health, waterway contamination, and the effects on threatened and endangered species.
Construction on a data center site is underway while the R.M. Schahfer Generating Station towers remain visible in Wheatfield, Indiana. In early September, IDEM announced a notice for a NIPSCO permit application. This permit would allow the mixing of wastewater, including coal ash water, from the Schahfer Generating Station, a new gas plant, and the upcoming Amazon data center, into a settling basin before discharging into the Kankakee River.
According to the application, the data center and gas plant will withdraw over 34 million gallons of water daily from the river during peak days. Ben Inskeep of the Citizens Action Coalition highlighted the substantial volume of water involved, emphasizing the scale of the power plant.
A virtual permit hearing is scheduled for October 7, with responses due by October 22. Inskeep noted the uniqueness of the permit application, as it involves mixing waste streams from coal, gas, and a data center before discharge. He expressed concerns about the potential presence of heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, and lead in the wastewater.
Ashley Williams of Just Transition Northwest Indiana criticized the permit, highlighting existing wastewater discharge issues and the mixing of various projects through the same outfall. She also expressed dissatisfaction with the coal plant operation and the decision to hold a virtual hearing.
Deardorff shared worries about the contamination of the Kankakee River, a popular site for recreation, and the implications for downstream communities. With NIPSCO’s record of five discharge violations since 2020, she emphasized concerns about the potential discharge of toxic chemicals beyond permissible limits.
The permit’s extensive length, nearly 150 pages, poses an additional challenge for community members to fully comprehend the implications. Deardorff, who has a background in chemistry and environmental management, recognizes the difficulty for the average citizen to navigate such detailed documents amidst personal responsibilities.