Gary residents affected by the powerful Aug. 11 storm that knocked out power in much of the region for roughly weeks may soon get the help they need. Shortly after speaking this week with Gary Mayor Eddie Melton and U.S. Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana, President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for the […]
Environmental Justice
Posted inCommunity, Extreme Weather, Public Services, Utilities
Churches, a Lawsuit and the Governor Are Pressuring NIPSCO After Gary’s Blackout
As power slowly returns to homes and businesses in Gary and across Northwest Indiana, Black faith leaders and elected officials alike are turning their focus to restoration, accountability, and solutions for future weather events. Fewer than 2,500 NIPSCO customers in Gary remained without power as of Tuesday morning, but that is more than 70% of […]
Posted inCommunity, Extreme Weather
I Grew Up in Gary. I’ve Never Seen a Power Outage Like This.
I’ve experienced dozens of power outages growing up in Gary. But usually an outage had boundaries. A neighborhood, a section of a city, or maybe part of a county. You could drive a few miles and eventually find light again. But last Tuesday, as my wife and I drove through Merrillville, Hobart, and Portage in […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Health, Politics & Policy
Gary Common Council Backs Medicare for All, Presses Nippon for Cleaner Air
The Gary Common Council unanimously approved two resolutions Tuesday night backing Medicare for All and urging U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel to invest in cleaner steelmaking technology at Gary Works. The measures are symbolic and carry no legal force. Together, however, they add Gary’s voice to national debates over expanding healthcare coverage and modernizing one […]
Posted inEconomy, Environmental Justice
Gary Residents Want a Say in the Future of Steel
Environmental advocates from Northwest Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Japan gathered online this week ahead of Nippon Steel’s annual shareholders’ meeting to urge the company to invest in newer, cleaner steelmaking technology in communities they fear are being left behind. “The people of the Mon Valley [in western Pennsylvania] and Gary have given steel their labor, their […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Environmental Justice, Politics & Policy
Residents Demand Cleaner Future for Steel in Northwest Indiana
More than 100 residents gathered Thursday evening at the Gary Public Library to discuss the future of one of Northwest Indiana’s most important industries: steel. The town hall, titled “Our Mill, Our Future,” brought together residents, advocates, and elected officials concerned about the future of U.S. Steel’s Gary Works and whether the region will receive […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy, Public Services
Gary Businesses Face Higher Stormwater Bills as New Rates Take Effect
Many Gary businesses and other commercial property owners will soon see higher stormwater bills after the city approved a significant rate increase that shifts more of the cost of sewer and drainage upgrades onto nonresidential properties. The new structure raises stormwater charges to $14.38 per 1,000 gallons for commercial and industrial properties — an increase […]
Posted inCommunity, Extreme Weather, Housing
Gary Warming Centers Serve Residents as Bitter Cold and Snow Grip the City
As Northwest Indiana remains locked in a stretch of bitter winter weather, Gary warming centers are continuing to serve residents seeking relief from dangerous cold and snow that are expected to linger through the weekend. The National Weather Service says temperatures in Gary are expected to remain dangerously low through the weekend, with overnight lows […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy
Gary Board Approves Soil Processing Facility Amid Environmental Concerns
The Gary Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday approved a request to operate a wet soil processing facility on East 15th Avenue, despite sharp concerns from residents and officials about traffic, air quality, and environmental justice impacts. Reconstruct Aggregate wants to build the facility on a 10-acre industrial parcel just south of the Indiana Toll […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Unsafe Water
High Arsenic at Gary’s ‘Magic Water’ Well Triggers Closure and a Warning Sign
For decades, Gary residents filled jugs and bottles at the artesian well on Chase Street, a place many affectionately called the source of “magic water.” But now, the spout is dry. The water is shut off, and for the first time, a warning sign stands nearby, greeting those who come to drink. Officials said new […]
