Lawmaker gives up on mining bill, will leave Americus and Tippecanoe County alone

Facing mounting pressure from lawmakers from Greater Lafayette – who have bought into the dedicated presence of 100 or so homeowners who have spent four-plus years fighting a Rogers Group Inc. quarry on 524 acres along old Indiana 25 – Ellington said Thursday that he was pulling the plug on an effort to loosen rules for mining and timber operations in Indiana.

“It’s pretty much dead,” at least for this year, said Ellington, who successfully riled Americus with a bill residents believed was aimed right where they lived.

But if Ellington comes back with a similar bill next General Assembly session – “And I plan to, believe me,” he insisted – he promised he’d find a way to leave Americus alone.

“I had discussions about how my bill would potentially have a conflict with what Tippecanoe County was trying to accomplish,” Ellington told the J&C. “So I agreed that if I was seeking to do anything in the future, I would take that language that concerned Tippecanoe County and not insert it anywhere. So that way, Tippecanoe could be protected with their existing rules.”