By Josh Sigler
jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com

The Hoosier Environmental Council announced recently that Dr. Jeff Reutter, former director for the Center of Lake Erie Area Research, and one of the foremost experts on the impact of agriculture on the Great Lakes, will keynote the 11th-annual Greening the Statehouse on Saturday, Nov. 17.

Greening the Statehouse is Indiana’s largest gathering of environmental-minded Hoosiers.

The program will begin at 10 a.m. and run through 4 p.m. at the Honeywell Center.

Reutter is a distinguished freshwater biologist and the author of over 150 technical reports and journal articles. He has led programs such as the Center for Lake Erie Area Research, the Ohio Sea Grant College Program, and the Great Lakes Aquatic Ecosystem Research Consortium.

Reutter is a public voice on issues related to the Lake Erie ecosystem, harmful algae blooms, nutrient pollution, invasive species, and the relationship between environmental health and coastal economic development.

“Water quality is increasingly ascending in visibility in Indiana: Cities are seeking to revitalize the rivers that flow through them. Citizens are coming to grips with the dangers posed by old, lead water pipes,” said Jesse Kharbanda, the Hoosier Environmental Council’s executive director. “In the wake of Hurricane Florence, there is greater recognition that unprecedented flooding in Indiana could lead to serious risks to our waters from Indiana’s abundant factory farm manure pits and coal ash dumps rupturing. Dr. Reutter is a fitting keynote to help us appreciate why far better tending to our rivers and lakes is vital to improving our health, building up Indiana’s $15 billion recreation sector, and managing the dangers of increasingly intense and volatile water.”

In addition to Reutter’s keynote speech, Greening the Statehouse will be an opportunity to hear from elected officials and policy experts about renewable energy, mass transit, passenger rail, sustainable agriculture, wilderness protection and more. 
The HEC called Wabash a unique space and unique location due to the “beautiful and historic Honeywell Center” and the “mighty Wabash River.”

Registration for Greening the Statehouse is $35 for general admission and $20 for students. To attend, please visit hecweb.org/gts. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Founded 35 years ago, the HEC is the largest environmental policy organization in Indiana. It aims to advance solutions that are good for the environment and economy.