FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WFFT) — Indiana has a pollution problem, more than any other state in the country, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory shows that Indiana releases the most chemicals per square mile as of the most recent data from 2019.
Allen County is in the top 10 percent most polluted United States counties by this standard, with DeKalb County not far behind.
American Lung Association Director Nick Torres says that Indiana actually is improving, just not fast enough.
"The fact that we are consistently ranking further behind other states means that we’re not seeing progress at the pace we should be seeing it," Torres said. "Indiana tends to lag on a lot of health indicators, many of those directly relate to some of these unhealthy rates of air pollution and toxic substances.“
Wells County has the lowest rate of toxic release out of all Northeast Indiana counties.
Find the full chart here.
