Environmentalists and Indiana's newspaper association say a state agency's plans to stop publishing notices about public hearings on air-quality issues will leave some residents in the dark about policy changes that could impact their health.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management plans to stop publishing newspaper advertisements Dec. 1 about plans to comply with federal air quality rules and notices on hearings before a state panel that considers changes to air pollution rules.

The agency says the shift to email and online notifications will save about $7,500 a year.

The Hoosier State Press Association opposes the change. So does the Hoosier Environmental Council, whose executive director, Jesse Kharbanda, says the "extremely modest" savings from the change doesn't justify the reduction in public awareness that could follow.