The Indiana Lawyer
May 22, 2024
Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor in Burns Harbor, Indiana is the company’s second-largest integrated steel mill in the United States, producing 5 million tons of raw steel annually. It is located along Lake Michigan and surrounded by Indiana Dunes National Park. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) issued a draft renewal of U.S. Steel’s Title V air permit in March and in response to public requests, is hosting a public hearing on the draft permit on May 23, 2024 at 6 PM. Accordingly, IDEM has also extended the public comment deadline to May 28, 2024.
The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) reviewed the draft permit and identified numerous defects, summarized in the factsheet below.
Public attendance at the hearing is important as it gives speakers an opportunity to have their voices and lived experiences heard by IDEM and incorporated into the public record. Because this is a hearing and not a meeting, IDEM will not answer any questions in person. However, the department will respond to questions in writing in an addendum to the final permit.
Tell IDEM to pass the strongest possible permits. Send written public comments to [email protected] by May 28, 2024.