New sculptures to adorn Valpo's art walk soon

VALPARAISO | The city and the Midwest Sculpture Initiative are teaming again to provide art lovers with a fresh batch of sculptures for the city's art walk.

Public hearing planned for revised BP refinery permits

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is hosting a public hearing Thursday on draft permits for BP Products North America Inc.'s Whiting Refinery.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Indiana's water is cleaner than it once was

We want to make sure Northwest Indiana residents receive accurate information about Indiana’s efforts to address mercury and PCBs in our waterways.

Senate vote could kill EPA plan to reduce mercury from coal-fired power plants

A proposal by a Republican senator from Oklahoma could overturn U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to tighten mercury pollution standards for coal-fired power plants.

IDEM approves BP wastewater permit

WHITING | BP's request for a variance in the amount of mercury the Whiting Refinery can discharge in its wastewater has been approved by the state.

BP must assess latest pollution-control technologies

EAST CHICAGO | A handful of environmentalists said Thursday they were pleased that BP would be required under a permit modification to evaluate new research technologies that could help the company reduce the amount of mercury its Whiting Refinery discharges in treated wastewater.

Public hearing Dec. 15 on BP's mercury discharge plan

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is hosting a Dec. 15 public hearing on the draft proposal it approved for the BP Whiting Refinery to deviate from current rules on how much mercury can be in its wastewater discharge.

Community continues to eye refinery permits

WHITING | Environmentalists, community members and regulators have a message for BP: We'll be watching.

Having a hot time at the old fair

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP | Life on Planet Mercury, also known as the Porter County Fair, was pretty sparse for the scheduled 4 p.m. opening Thursday. Either that or visitors were spontaneously combusting on the walk from the parking lot to the entrance gate.

Crews tackle mercury spill in Hammond alley

HAMMOND | Local officials are unsure of how long hazardous mercury could have been left in patches along an alley in North Hammond.

Dabbling in art

The Terrence Karpowicz sculpture "Mercury" sits near the Valparaiso roundabout at Lincolnway and Sturdy Road. The sculpture was rented from the artist for $2,000.

Dabbling in art

"Mercury," a sculpture by Terrence Karpowicz, sits near the Valparaiso roundabout at Lincolnway and Sturdy Road.

VALPOART - Valparaiso Sculpture "Mercury"

Valparaiso - The Terrence Karpowicz sculpture "Mercury" sits near the Valparaiso roundabout at Lincolnway Avenue and Sturdy Road Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011. The sculpture was rented from the artist for $2,000.

High levels of mercury in fish, streams

About one in eight fish samples tested statewide had mercury that exceeded the recommended safety limit for human consumption, according to a study released Tuesday by the U.S. Geological Survey in partnership with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.