Boone County residents denied hearing on possible Eli Lilly pollutants
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) denied Boone County residents a public hearing on potential air pollutants from Eli Lilly and Co.'s pharmaceutical complex in the LEAP district. Residents raised concerns about the company's proposed permit modification to add natural gas-fired generators and combustion units, which also relates to a proposed Meta/Orla data center at the same site.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has denied a request from eight Boone County residents for a public hearing regarding potential air pollutants from Eli Lilly and Co.'s pharmaceutical complex within the Limitless Exploration Advanced Pace (LEAP) district.
Eli Lilly and Co. had previously secured a permit to operate a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant. The company recently sought a modification to this permit, proposing the construction of three natural gas-fired emergency generators and 48 natural gas-fired combustion units. Residents, concerned about the proximity of estimated emissions (42 tons of nitrogen oxide, 115 tons of carbon monoxide, and 43.26 tons of volatile organic compounds annually) to the 100-ton threshold for stricter permitting, urged further review. However, IDEM stated that no changes would be made to the permit based on public comments and denied an extension for the public comment period.
The LEAP district is also the planned location for a proposed Meta/Orla data center and a Life Cycle Power project. The Life Cycle Power initiative aims to supply 268 megawatts of power to the data center through gas-fired generators, connecting the environmental and energy concerns for Eli Lilly's expansion to the broader development plans in the district.