Water Advocacy Interview with Megan Freveletti

Interview with Megan Freveletti, Nancy C. Ralston Graduate Fellow Attorney

Megan graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in International Studies and worked in her home state for the Illinois House of Representatives for two years before attending Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law. During law school Megan interned with the Conservation Law Center and after graduation, joined CLC as the Nancy C. Ralston Graduate Fellow Attorney.

Question: Indiana’s water quality is a critical concern, and CLC’s Water Report identified 14 recommendations to improve it. Could you highlight some of the most pressing water quality issues in Indiana, and how these recommendations address them?

Freveletti: Indiana has an abundance of fresh water that, for years, has acted as an economic driver across the state. While this has produced benefits, especially for some industries and sectors, it has also resulted in the majority of Indiana’s waterways being polluted. When the water quality is poor, future quantity available for producers and industries is also affected. CLC described this dynamic in its 2016 Water Report. For example, the Report recommends addressing the issue of E. coli contamination by creating vegetated buffers to reduce agricultural runoff. The Report also recommends that Indiana water management authorities should take the environmental, ecological, and social values, along with the economic value, into consideration when making water planning decisions. Indiana has made progress on some of these recommendations but there is more to be done.

Question: Can you provide examples of recent successes or progress made in addressing the recommendations outlined in the Water Report?

Freveletti: Sure, the 2023 legislative session provided some notable wins for Indiana’s water quality and addressed a few recommendations from the Water Report. First, IDEM’s increased budget will allow the agency to hire fifteen additional drinking water monitors. The state also passed PFAS legislation recognizing these “forever chemicals” as dangerous and life- threatening pollutants, and committed to the continued identification of emerging contaminants. Maybe most importantly, the House Enrolled Act 1639 allows for the creation of Watershed Development Commissions, which have the potential to address both water quantity and quality challenges. This could support water storage capacity, erosion control, sediment reduction, and set voluntary water quality goals. Watershed Development Commissions can also potentially address runoff of nutrients and soil into streams, the reestablishment of wetlands, and improve septic systems.

Question: Good policymaking requires reliable data and research. How does CLC plan to enhance its research efforts to support evidence-based water policy decisions, and what role do student interns play in this process?

Freveletti: CLC operates the Conservation Law Clinic at the IU Maurer School of Law and has student interns every semester. Our interns play a vital role in our efforts to help improve Indiana’s water quality. In the past, they have conducted research on drainage laws across the United States, which helped inform our recommendations on updating Indiana’s drainage code. When I was a clinic student, I had the opportunity to meet with state legislators, scientists, and policymakers about the implications of failing septic systems, and from those meetings created materials that were then presented to the Indiana State legislature. This really solidified my desire to work in environmental law. It’s been amazing to transition from student to attorney in an organization that cares so deeply about training the next generation of environmental lawyers.

Question: Looking ahead, what are the key priorities and action items on CLC’s agenda for furthering the cause of improving Indiana’s water quality, and how can individuals and organizations support these efforts?

Freveletti: I would say we have two main priorities currently. First, failing septic systems are still one of the main sources of water pollution across the state. We need to find common sense solutions to keep this human waste out of our drinking water. It’s hard to believe there are interest groups in the state that oppose this. Our second priority is to address source water protection, whether it be through revising the outdated drainage code, or working with agricultural producers to reduce nutrient runoff. Individuals and organizations can support our work by collaborating with us on our goals, or through financial support. We are almost entirely donor funded, so we do what donors enable us to do.