Terre Haute Vice News

On Tuesday, Vigo County Commissioners approved a rezoning request from Lindy Miller, owner of LFM Quality Laboratories, despite opposition from many different groups. The request changed the zoning of a piece of property just south of Hook Drive on US HWY 41 from “Agricultural” to “Light Industrial.”

The vote had already been postponed twice, to address concerns about the property. Several nearby residents, including Don and Vicki Scheid, were joined by Samantha Chapman, the Indiana state director of the Humane Society, and several animal rights activists in opposing the motion.

But they weren’t the only ones, the Vigo County Area Planning Department had given an unfavorable recommendation for rezoning due to the availability of property already zoned as light industrial closer to the businesses current location.

Nancy Hoopingarner, a local resident who attended the meeting in opposition to the rezoning request, questioned whether the benefits of this facility outweighed the costs. She stated that, “advancements in technology have helped reduce the need for animal testing, which could lead to this company going out of business”

At the national level, the EPA has recently committed to, “aggressively reduce animal testing, including reducing mammal study requests and funding 30% by 2025 and completely eliminating them by 2035,” in a direct quote from EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler.

In recent congressional discussions of the topic this is what Florida representative Matt Gaetz had to say, “I am thrilled to hear that the EPA is greatly reducing its reliance on animal tests…. Non-animal research is more accurate, more cost effective, and more humane. I commend the EPA for their decision, and hope other departments and agencies will soon follow suit,”

In defense of the decision president of the county commissioners Chris Switzer stated, “If people are truly upset about this being in the walls of our community, they need to talk to our legislators, state legislators. … But for a commissioner to be in the middle of something like this and stop this based on moralities, I don’t think it’s a good precedent to set.”

Richard Shagley, the attorney representing Lindy Miller, was quoted in the Tribune-Star saying, “LFM Quality Laboratories Inc. has to meet federal and state requirements for its testing, adding the company is self-contained and does not release chemicals. If there was a concern, the issue would be addressed by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.”