MACOG hosts environmental sustainability event
Apr. 17—ELKHART — The quality of the air we all breath here in Michiana was the focus of an event which took place Wednesday at the Matterhorn Conference Center.
The Michiana Area Council of Governments hosted its annual Partners for Clean Air Luncheon, with the purpose of recognizing businesses, industries, local governments and community groups committed to improving overall air quality and public health through voluntary actions.
"What we're focusing on is sustainability," said Leah Thill, MACOG's Director of Sustainability, during the welcome and introduction, noting that environmental resilience and transportation are also key issues.
Shawn Seals, with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, gave the north central Indiana air quality report. In a described context of "Air Quality 101," he discussed data dating back to and before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the emissions and air quality factors of ozone and PM 2.5, and noting the recovery the economy has made since the pandemic ended.
"There's not a lot of wiggle room," Seals said of voluntary efforts to keep emissions and ozone at a sustainable level statewide.
A number of companies, organizations and municipalities were represented, including the city of Goshen's Department of Environmental Resilience.
"We really hope to inspire residents to start growing things," said Theresa Sailor, educator and grant writer for the department, adding that, with the help of a $1 million U.S. Department of Agriculture urban forestry grant, they would like to help residents with backyard habitats, nut and berry gardens, and others.
Therese Dorau, with the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute, spoke about how her program places a special emphasis on the areas of environmental justice and public, and about how there are a multitude of funding options available in Indiana for environmental education and related efforts.
"2023 was the hottest year on record," Dorau noted, adding that data indicates that trend is not likely to change soon.
In response to a question by Gregory Imbur, of the city of Goshen, Dorau responded to a report claiming that Elkhart County has the "most cancerous" air in the country.
"It's crazy to think that our statewide pollution is concentrated in certain communities," Dorau responded.
MACOG presented awards to Beacon Resource Center, Transpo and Valmont Industries for their sustainability efforts over the past year.
"The awardees are located in St. Joseph County and Elkhart County, and include a compressed natural gas fleet, a manufacturer powering their facility with clean energy, and a community center prioritizing energy efficiency," a news release stated, adding that the awards were the result of a public nomination process.
In addition, two vehicles were on display just outside of the center's front door, a Chevy Blazer and a Ford F150 Lightning pickup — both electric vehicles. A roundtable discussion group, made up of Dorau, Thill and Seals, was led by Carl Lisek of Drive Clean Indiana.
To learn more, visit www.macog.com.
Steve Wilson is news editor for The Goshen News. You can reach him at steve.wilson@goshennews.com.
