Indiana's 3 ports earn Green Marine national designation

BURNS HARBOR, Ind. (AP) - The Ports of Indiana have become the nation's first inland waterway system to secure a national designation that honors the adoption of environmental best practices.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports that the Green Marine certification awarded to Indiana's three-port system recognizes the shipping industry's environmental sustainability in storm water management, spill prevention and other measures.

Indiana's Lake Michigan port at Burns Harbor earned the honor in 2014 for going beyond regulatory requirements in areas like aquatic invasive species and air pollutants.

But now Indiana's two Ohio River ports at Mount Vernon and Jeffersonville have received the Green Marine distinction, securing that voluntary environmental certification for the entire Indianapolis-based ports system.

That makes Indiana the first statewide port authority in the nation to earn a Green Marine certification for environmental sustainability.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com