INDIANAPOLIS (WPTA) – Governor Mike Braun signed two executive orders Wednesday morning that focus on Indiana’s natural resources.
The first order is titled “Creating Opportunity and Reducing Over-Regulation While Protecting Our Environment”.
The order takes aim at additional environmental regulations in the state that are not already required by federal laws such as the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.
A spokesperson for Braun’s office says states that implement additional standards “create a complex web of regulations for businesses and farmers to navigate, stifling innovation and raising the cost of living.”
Braun’s order directs Indiana to follow the federal environmental protection baseline while not implementing more stringent regulations. Additional regulations in the state must be deemed necessary by either Indiana state law or the governor’s office.
The order states that agencies responsible for enforcing such protections must ensure any proposed regulation does not impose “any unnecessary burdens on businesses, communities, agencies, or industries” in Indiana.
It also states that any environmental rules or regulations currently in place that go beyond federal standards without explicit direction must be reviewed.
The second order, “Indiana’s Environmental Policy Will be Based on Sound Science, not Politicized ‘Environmental Justice”, states Indiana will not use the concept of environmental justice in its permitting or enforcement decisions.
“Indiana’s environmental policy will be based solely on sound science – not a political agenda like ‘environmental justice.’ My environmental policy is all about preserving our abundant natural resources, fostering economic development, and safeguarding Hoosiers’ health.”
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