Jan
18
Chicago Pollutes NWI Air
Filed Under Chicago, IDEM, Lake County, Northwest Indiana, Porter County, air quality, environment | Leave a Comment
An IDEM official says that Chicago is polluting Northwest Indiana air.
Writes the Post-Tribune’s Gitte Laasby:
When Lake and Porter counties have ozone problems on hot days, don’t blame the region’s heavy lakeshore industries. Indiana’s top environmental official suggests you look toward Chicago instead.
“The No. 1 contributor (to ozone problems in Lake and Porter counties) is Chicago,” Indiana Department of Environmental Management Commissioner Tom Easterly said in a recent Portage appearance.
Not so fast, an Illinois public heath expert counters. …
It makes sense that the wind blowing from the west would carry away pollution created in Illinois into Northwest Indiana. But, I still wouldn’t give Indiana’s heavy industries free reign to pump out more pollution just because Chicago is contributing to our air quality problems.
Nov
15
Widespread Chemical Odor Cause Of Concern?
Filed Under air quality, homeland security | Leave a Comment
The smell of natural gas — or some other chemical with a similar odor — spread throughout Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois yesterday, according to news reports.
I’ve smelled various chemical odors when travelling on the Indiana Toll Road, but I’ve always attributed them to some of the industries — green or not — present in Northwest Indiana.
I might have even smelled something yesterday as I drove along the toll road from I-65 to Chicago, but since it isn’t an uncommon experience, I thought nothing of it until reading of the natural gas-like odor overtaking the area.
Yesterday’s chemical bouquet was widespread, but the source of the odor couldn’t be located by officials.
Writes the Northwest Indiana Times:
From Crete to Crown Point, Nicor and fire departments on Wednesday received numerous calls from residents about a natural gas-like smell wafting through the air.
A Nicor investigation was unable to find a source or cause for the odor, agency spokesman Richard Caragol said.
“We can confirm it was not natural gas,” he said, adding the odor can travel with the wind.
I don’t want to be alarmist — but the situation raises the question of what could happen if someone intentionally or accidently releases a deadly chemical into the air.
Would we be able to figure out what was happening and isolate the source before the damage was done?
I’m sure if the effects were immediate, first responders and others would figure out the danger and react accordingly. But, what if the chemical released was a biological agent or other slow-acting agent that didn’t cause immediate effects?
