Environmental groups file petition against IDEM air permit renewal
'U.S. EPA should object to this permit because it's inconsistent with the Clean Air Act and the region's Hoosiers should not feel like they are living in a sacrifice zone,' Kerri Gefeke, associate attorney at the Environmental Law and Policy Center, said in a news release. 'Numerous studies show that residents living near Gary Works already suffer from some of the highest rates of air pollution in the nation — resulting in high rates of asthma, cancer and other diseases.'
The petition, submitted on July 3, claims the permit 'fails to include many basic provisions of the Clean Air Act,' according to a Thursday news release from the Environmental Law and Policy Center. The petition alleges that the permit renewal is missing clear and enforceable monitoring, testing and recordkeeping requirements sufficient to assure compliance with all applicable requirements, according to the news release.
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'Permitting decisions are made based on an applicant's ability to demonstrate compliance with applicable state and federal rules and regulations, including the Clean Air Act,' IDEM responded in a Thursday statement. 'The U.S. Steel Gary Works Part 70 Operating Permit was issued following an EPA review and comment period.'
U.S. Steel also responded to the petition in a Thursday statement.
'Environmental stewardship is a core value at U.S. Steel, and we remain committed to the safety of our communities as do our more than 3,400 Gary Works employees,' a spokesperson said in an email.
In addition to the Environmental Law and Policy Center, two regional groups participated in the petition: Gary Advocates for Responsible Development and Just Transition Northwest Indiana.
In the petition, the organizations argue that IDEM disregarded concerns from the EPA and commenters during the public comment period. The petition asks for the EPA to object to the renewal permit.
The petition asks IDEM to revise the renewal permit to include supplemental monitoring for various emission limits, and include contents of the continuous compliance plan and corrective action plan, among others.
Petitioners also want IDEM to provide detailed rationales in the renewal permit record about the adequacy of monitoring requirements to assure compliance, according to petition documents.
An October report from Industrious Labs found that most residents in Gary are in the top 10% of U.S. residents most at-risk for developing asthma and at-risk of low life expectancy.
Earlier this year, the American Lung Association gave Lake County failing grades in three categories: ozone pollution, 24-hour particle pollution and annual particle pollution. Porter County only received a passing grade for annual particle pollution.
Ozone and particle pollution can cause premature death and other health effects, including asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, preterm births and impaired cognitive function, according to the American Lung Association. The organization also found that particle pollution can cause lung cancer.
In a statement Thursday, GARD President Dorreen Carey mentioned how Gary residents have suffered from air pollution, saying that upgrades in pollution monitoring are required to ensure public health is protected.
'EPA must object to this deficient IDEM permit renewal and require revisions to the air monitoring methodology that will include updated and supplemental monitoring of emissions and opacity limits to ensure permit compliance and current and ongoing protection of Gary residents' health and environment,' Carey said.
Susan Thomas, director of policy and press for Just Transition Northwest Indiana, said the permit is missing 'the most basic environmental management provisions,' including monitoring, testing, recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
'This dangerous situation is totally unacceptable and unprecedented, opening the door to an 'anything goes' model for industry pollution standards in a community that has historically been pushed to the brink,' Thomas said in a statement. 'Access to clean air, safe water and healthy soil is a fundamental human right, one that Gary, and every community, deserves without compromise.'
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