IDEM postpones Hobart wetlands permit hearing again
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management postponed a public hearing for a wetlands permit in Hobart, Indiana, for an industrial development impacting wetlands. The delay was caused by continued power outages in Lake County. Local environmental groups oppose the permit, citing concerns about cumulative industrial pollution, though the project is not a data center.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has again postponed a virtual public hearing for a wetlands project permit in Hobart, Indiana. The hearing, initially set for August 12 and then August 19, will now be held on a subsequent Monday due to widespread power outages in Lake County caused by an August 11 derecho. Utility provider NIPSCO reported tens of thousands of residents, including over 4,000 in Hobart, were still without power at the time of the postponement.
The permit applicant, Schottenstein Property Group, with V3 Companies as the project agent, is seeking approval for an industrial development. This project would impact 5.49 acres of wetlands and 325 linear feet of stream channel near the intersection of U.S. 30 and Colorado Street, intending to develop warehouses and associated infrastructure on land currently used as cropland, woodlands, and wetlands.
While the project is explicitly stated as unrelated to Hobart's nearby Amazon data center, environmental advocates like Ashley Williams, executive director of Just Transition Northwest Indiana, oppose the permit. Williams expressed concerns about the cumulative impact of industrial pollution in communities already burdened, urging IDEM to reject what she termed an "isolated, short-sighted decision" and consider the broader development picture. Her organization focuses on data center-related and adjacent issues in the region.