Indiana undecided on how to spend $41M Volkswagen settlement

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Indiana officials have yet to decide how to use the $41 million the state will receive from a settlement federal regulators reached with Volkswagen, which cheated on emissions tests.

Department of Environmental Management spokeswoman Tara Wolf told the Indianapolis Star that department Commissioner Bruno Pigott is holding one-on-one meetings with interested parties to gather thoughts on how the funds should be spent. The commissioner’s approach is “more personal,” Wolf said.

The department declined to list groups or individuals who’ve met with the agency on the matter.

Other states have accepted public comments through online websites. Some states began gathering public feedback in fall 2016 and some have already published drafts of their proposals online.

Indiana residents will be able to comment on a draft plan, Wolf said.

The settlement requires states to go through a lengthy and technical process before submitting their plans. States are required to first announce which agencies will manage the funds. Indiana has yet to announce which agencies will oversee the money.

Volkswagen violated the Clean Air Act by tampering with emissions testing to allow cars to emit more pollutants than the Environmental Protection Agency level allows. The mitigation trust fund aims to address the increase in nitrogen oxides.

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