The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) denied a permit application to turn wetlands in Marion County into a retail complex last week. Gershman Partners submitted a permit in February to transform wetlands in Franklin Township – on the northeast corner of East County Line Road and South Arlington Avenue – into an area with warehouses and a hotel. IDEM rejected the proposal stating the developers did not show “reasonable alternatives” to destroying the wetlands.

SB 246 would allow the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to certify some acres of ground as a wildland, which counts as a tax break. It's not to be confused with a bill already signed into law that would take away wetland protections.

Groups that represent home builders and developers often talk about how environmental regulation adds to the cost of building a new home, making home ownership unaffordable for many Hoosiers. But just how much do environmental regulations specifically factor into the price of a home?