Former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan visited Indianapolis on Thursday, Feb. 12, to speak about environmental justice, regulatory changes and the unequal burdens of pollution on marginalized communities.
Regan, the first Black male to lead the EPA, framed Indiana’s environmental challenges within the state’s industrial history and the ways its impacts have not been shared equally.
“It’s no secret that Indiana has a powerful and complicated story,” Regan said. “This state (was) built on industry, built on manufacturing and agriculture. And yes, those sectors have powered the nation, but for some reason, too often the benefits have not been shared equally.”
Regan said communities across the state have faced longstanding environmental hazards, with pollution disproportionately affecting Black, brown, low-income and rural residents.
“But the burdens, polluted air, contaminated water, toxic waste have landed squarely on the black, brown, low-income and rural communities,” he said.
He pointed to Northwest Indiana as an example of areas where residents have lived for decades alongside heavy industry.
“In Northwest Indiana, communities have lived for decades beside steel mills, refineries, heavy industrial operations, breathing air that consistently ranks among the most polluted in the nation,” Regan said.
Regan also referenced other environmental threats, including coal ash sites and contamination concerns.
“Across the state, coal ash sites sit near neighborhoods and waterways. PFAS contamination is a threat to drinking water safety to this day,” he said.
Regan’s visit comes amid broader national debate over environmental oversight and clean energy investments. His appearance followed recent federal actions rescinding billions in environmental and climate-related funding, including roughly $7 billion tied to clean energy and community-focused initiatives.
Regan emphasized that environmental risks are often compounded in rural areas where resources and infrastructure are limited.
“In rural communities, failing infrastructure and limited resources are compounding environmental risks that are often too often ignored,” he said.
He also highlighted the role of local leadership in advancing environmental justice efforts.
“But what I’ve learned throughout my career is where there is environmental harm, there is also resistance and leadership,” Regan said. “People who organize, people who document, people who demand accountability.”
Regan said those community voices are central to progress.
“The communities closest to harm are also the communities closest to a solution,” he said.
Regan’s administration previously approved the $117.4 million “Solar for All” grant for Indiana, designed to expand access to solar energy for low-income households in cities including Indianapolis, Gary, Fort Wayne, South Bend and Terre Haute.
To learn more about federal environmental programs and environmental justice initiatives, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website at https://www.epa.gov.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
