The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs to hear from you to limit U.S. Steel’s discharge to Lake Michigan!
Action Needed Now:
· Attend EPA public hearing Dec. 11 or submit written comments
The U.S. EPA has scheduled a public hearing on Dec. 11 in Gary, Ind. to invite comments on a draft water pollution discharge permit for U.S. Steel Corp.’s Gary Works plant.
This is an opportunity to air your concerns about the proposed permit and to help ensure that pollution discharges to Lake Michigan and all the Great Lakes are in keeping with long-standing federal Clean Water Act standards.
EPA has raised concerns about the permit, several of which echo those outlined by the Alliance in written comments to Indiana regulators back in October. Though an important step toward protecting Lake Michigan and the Grand Calumet River, EPA’s objections don’t resolve all the issues raised by the Alliance and other groups that have registered concerns about the permit. Your voice is needed at the public hearing to ensure that all of the permit issues are fully addressed by EPA.
The EPA is convening the hearing in response to a large number of requests from environmental groups, the public and public officials, who cited objections to the draft permit issued by Indiana’s Department of Environmental Management.
When finalized, the permit will allow the Gary Works facility — the largest fully integrated steel mill in the country — to discharge significant levels of mercury and other pollutants into the Grand Calumet River, a tributary to Lake Michigan.
Issues to mention at the hearing or in your comments to EPA include:
U.S. Steel should not be given a five-year pass on discharges of pollutants — including mercury, ammonia and cyanide — that are detrimental to water quality and the people and wildlife dependent upon the Great Lakes.
U.S. Steel’s production activities cannot be allowed to impede the region’s progress and investments towards environmental remediation and restoration along the Grand Calumet River and Lake Michigan shoreline.
The final water pollution discharge permit must require substantial reductions in the discharge of cyanide, chromium, oil, grease and thermal pollution to the Grand Calumet River.
The final permit must ensure a reduction in storm water runoff, which contains unknown quantities of pollution, to Lake Michigan.
For Great Lakes restoration to succeed, everyone’s help is needed to ensure the enforcement of existing regulations in addition to advocating for improvements that further Great Lakes health.
Action Needed: Provide comments to U.S. EPA on U.S. Steel’s permit extension
· Attend the EPA’s public hearing and urge that all the permit issues be fully addressed. Scheduled from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the hearings will be held in Indiana University Northwest’s Savannah Auditorium, located at 3400 Broadway Ave, Gary, Ind.
· If you cannot attend the hearing in person, submit your comments to EPA in writing or online.
Comments may be submitted in writing between Nov. 9 and Dec. 28 to:
David Soong
EPA Region 5
NPDES Programs Branch (WN-16J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604.
Comments may be submitted online to EPA’s Web site at www.epa.gov/region5/publiccomment/ussteel-pubcomment.htm, or faxed to 312-886-0168.
For more information visit http://www.greatlakes.org/news/100307.asp or contact Lyman Welch, Manager of Water Quality Programs at 312-939-0838 ext. 230 or lwelch@greatlakes.org.
