The Calumet Region's integrated steel mills emit more than 25 million metric tons of greenhouse gases a year, a study found.
The Environmental Integrity Project estimates the Gary Works, Cleveland-Cliffs Indiana Harbor Works and Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor Works steel mills along the South Shore of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana collectively emit as much as 5.8 million gas-powered cars driven for a year. That's roughly the number of vehicles registered in the entire state of Wisconsin. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates Northwest Indiana's steel mills released 186,997 tons of violation criteria air pollutants and 205,775 pounds of hazardous air pollutants in 2023, the most recent year for which data was available.
Indiana is the largest producer of steel in the country, accounting for 25% of the nation's steel production, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. The new iron and steel production is concentrated along Lake Michigan, where lake freighters bring the iron ore needed from Minnesota and Michigan.
Worldwide, the steel industry generated 3.6 gigatons of carbon emissions in 2023, making it one of the largest contributors to climate change, according to the Global Energy Monitor. It accounted for 7% of greenhouse gases and 11% of carbon dioxide emissions or more than all the cars and vans in the world.
Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor Works released 7,644,163 metric tons of carbon emissions in 2023, according to the EPA. The steel mill released 84,498 of violation criteria air pollution and 84,161 pounds of hazardous air pollution.
Cleveland-Cliffs Indiana Harbor West, the former LTV steel mill released 703,787 tons of greenhouse gases over that time period, according to the EPA. The steel mill, one half of the Indiana Harbor complex, no longer has any blast furnaces and just has a hot strip mill and other finishing lines. It released 9,900 tons of criteria air pollution and 18,029 pounds of hazardous air pollution in 2023.
Indiana Harbor East, which includes the SunCoke coke batteries, released 5,783,021 tons of carbon emissions in 2023, according to the EPA. The former Inland Steel mill emitted 28,133 tons of violation criteria air pollution and 45,651 pounds of hazardous air pollution.
Cleveland-Cliffs says it already reached its goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 25%, which it had targeted as a goal for 2030, according to its 2024 Sustainability Report. The steelmaker said the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of its integrated mills, including Indiana Harbor Works and Burns Harbor Works, is 27% lower than the global average. The company describes the American steel industry as "among the cleanest and most energy efficient in the world."
Gary Works released 10,928,816 tons of carbon emissions, 64,466 tons of violation criteria air pollution and 57,935 pounds of hazardous air pollution, according to the EPA.
U.S. Steel spent $354 million in 2024, $345 million in 2023, $334 million in 2022 and $302 million in 2021 on environmental costs, accounting for about 2% of its overall expenses. It estimates it spends $100 million a year on environmental compliance.
About 62% of its production facilities, including Gary Works, have Environmental Management Systems that are certified to ISO 14001, a globally recognized standard by the International Organization for Standardization.
"U.S. Steel’s Gary Works facility has achieved a compliance rate exceeding 99%. We continue to meet our environmental obligations and adhere to the limits set forth in our operating permit," spokesman Andrew Fulton said. "Environmental excellence is a top priority for the dedicated employees at all of our facilities, including the more than 3,400 employees at Gary Works, and we are always working to improve our processes and invest in technologies that will help us meet that goal."
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