Groups sue EPA over challenge to U.S. Steel Gary Works operating permit in Lake County, Indiana
Environmental and community groups are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to act on a petition challenging U.S. Steel Gary Works operating permit renewal.
The groups said the EPA failed to meet a mandatory Clean Air Act deadline to act on their petition challenging the Gary, Indiana, steel plants renewal of their operating permit.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in July 2025, argues U.S. Steel's operating permit doesn't include adequate monitoring and compliance provisions to comply with air pollution limits. They argue that, as laid out in the Clean Air Act, the EPA was required to grant or deny the petition within 60 days, but nine months later they have not taken any action.
"Congress established clear deadlines so communities, regulators, and industry are not left in limbo. In the absence of EPA action, this lawsuit was the necessary next step to rein in illegal pollution originating from U.S. Steel Gary Works" said Max Lopez, associate attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center, which is one of the plaintiffs in the suit.
The lawsuit is now calling on the EPA to take immediate action and issue a decision by a deadline set by the courts.
Seven major coal-powered steel production plants operate in the United States. Three plants are clustered in the Gary region, including Gary Works.
CBS News Chicago Investigators has exposed the significant industrial pollution in Northwest Indiana which partially stems from the steel production facilities in the area, as well as the health impact for people living there. Residents of Gary have higher risks for developing asthma and some cancers, and Gary was failing to meet federal air quality standards.
