Hoosier Environmental Council urges neighborhoods to protect wetlands, questions data‑center impacts

Sam Carpenter, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council, told a neighborhood meeting that Marion County communities face steadily shrinking wetlands and that residents should press for transparency when large projects such as data centers are proposed.

Carpenter described wetlands as “critical, natural infrastructure” that act as sponges to reduce flooding, purify water and recharge aquifers. He said Indiana has “lost about 90% of our regional wetlands in the state,” and urged communities to identify and organize around areas they want preserved.

Why this matters: wetlands and urban green space provide flood protection, water‑quality benefits and habitat; development decisions that allow wetland filling or heavy industrial…