INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ A recycling advocate told a legislative panel Indiana is squandering the opportunity to attract development and thousands of jobs by diverting money intended to go toward boosting recycling.
Indiana Recycling Coalition Executive Director Carey Hamilton told the Environmental Quality Service Council on Wednesday that recycling more of the waste that currently goes into Indiana's landfills could generate up to 20,000 new jobs from businesses that process or use recycled materials.
But an Alcoa official says recycling is key to its business, which employs 3,500 Indiana workers.
Members of the panel questioned why $20 million in state funds for recycling was diverted by the state.
Easterly says the funding was suspended during the Great Recession.
