This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, November 10th, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB Assistant News Director Noelle Herhusky-Schneider continues her coverage on the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project. She speaks with Marion Mason and Chris Thornton from the U.S. Forest Service. More coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, the City of Bloomington will no longer contract with Servpro for cleanup of lead contamination after the Bloomington Fire Department conducted a prescribed burn last week. More in today’s headlines.

But first, your Environmental News Brief:

Last week, the Bloomington Fire Department practiced a training exercise at an approved burning site at an old home. This allowed them to prepare for real life scenarios. However, Bloomington residents have raised concerns about the toxins that came from the home. Local landlord Matt Murphy specifically smelled the burning of lead, and noticed ash and other contaminants landing in his and his neighbors backyards. City officials have contacted biohazard cleanup companies to investigate and possibly remove any harmful chemicals and debris that may still be present in the area. The main contaminant, lead, can have permanent harmful effects on the brain and central nervous system.

The Supreme Court of the United States has recently announced that they will hear cases concerning whether the federal government has the power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

The case, a consolidation of many, goes by the name of West Virginia v. the Environmental Protection Agency. Many people on the side of West Virginia are fighting to make it unconstitutional for the EPA to create strong and effective policies to fight climate change, as they view it as hurtful for the fossil fuel industry. Two Supreme Court Justices, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh have shown support for such a position in the past. If ruled in favor of West Virginia, this could become a monumental shift in terms of the power of the federal government.

A brand new project between the state of Indiana and an Israeli based renewable energy company will lead to a $1.5 billion investment for a brand new solar panel farm in northwest Indiana. Called the Mammoth Solar Project, the solar farm will be around 13,000 acres of previously farmed cropland. This area of the state receives a large amount of solar energy, so it is an ideal spot for the new farm. This conversion will also save an estimated billion gallons of irrigation water and 2,000 tons of carbon emissions that would result from the application of pesticides, as well as the planting and harvesting of crops. Once completed, this solar farm will be the biggest in the country.

Local Officials Discuss Covid-19 Response Ahead of the Holidays

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

At the Covid-19 Press Conference on November 5th Mayor John Hamilton shared that OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, published new rules for large employers regarding national safety requirements.

"All city employees by January 4 must either be vaccinated, demonstrate their vaccination status, or get weekly COVID testing and have significant masking protocols consistently at work," said Hamilton.

Board of Health Director Penny Caudill gave an update on vaccines for 5 to 11 year olds, and asked residents to be patient as the demand for the vaccine is high. She promised they will be able to get everyone who wants to be fully vaccinated, fully vaccinated before Christmas.

Caudill shared that Monroe County was in the Yellow Advisory Category this week, and recommended residents maintain their diligence with mask wearing and precautions especially with the holiday season coming up.

"As we come to a time of giving,