Gary and Northwest Indiana residents face a critical month for the region’s environmental safeguards, as multiple federal and state agencies weigh new rules that could shape local air quality and public health. Upcoming public hearings are scheduled to gather resident feedback, covering topics ranging from equipment at the Gary Works steel mill to particulate matter […]
air pollution
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy
EPA Rollbacks Leave Gary at Risk From Air Pollution and Steel Emissions
In late July, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin appeared at an auto dealership in Indianapolis, just three hours away from the smoke stacks of the nation’s largest integrated steel mill, to unveil “one of the largest deregulation efforts in U.S. history.” It’s just one of the latest slashes to environmental safeguards affecting industrial communities […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy
EPA Rollbacks Mean More Pollution, Less Justice for Black Communities
For a quarter of a century, a Black neighborhood in Beaumont, Texas, where Chris Jones lives has been the subject of two federal civil rights investigations by the Environmental Protection Agency that explore the role of race in his community’s disproportionately high levels of air pollution. In San Francisco, Kamillah Ealom’s neighborhood has been the […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Health
Gary’s Steel Industry Is Linked to Increased Health Risks and Lower Life Expectancy
Growing up in Gary, Dr. Beverly Lewis knew her family’s health issues were severe — but she didn’t know why. It wasn’t until years later, as a medical professional, that she connected the environmental hazards in her hometown to her family’s suffering. Her brother died of asthma. Her father, a former steelworker in East Chicago, […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
Environmental Advocates Gain ‘A Seat at the Table’ at Gary City Hall
Gary community members from different walks of life have joined forces with city leaders to tackle a pervasive problem that affects them all: climate change. Mayor Eddie Melton’s administration recently began recruiting residents to join a new environmentally focused advisory council, headed by local sustainability and community leaders, to help the city address critical challenges […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Health, Housing
Redlining’s Toxic Legacy: How Historical Housing Policies Still Threaten Gary
In many ways, where you live determines your quality of life. A recent fair housing report seems to agree. A new report from the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana underscores significant environmental concerns across Indiana, including Gary and Lake County, stemming from historical redlining. The study found that historically low-income and redlined communities are […]
Posted inCommunity, Environmental Justice
Residents Fight Gary Works Air Permit: ‘If the Steel Mill Won’t Quit, They Should Get No Permit’
Across the street from the smoke plumes of Gary Works’ steel mill, community members gathered at 21st Century Charter School to fight for their right to clean air. “Our air quality is a joke,” said Gary resident and gardener Libre Booker, who was moved to tears while speaking. “Our air quality is actually a joke. […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
IDEM’s Latest Climate Action Plan Is Up for Review. Will Gary Benefit?
A crucial next step that could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Gary is underway. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management applied for an Environmental Protection Agency implementation grant this week. IDEM submitted its Priority Climate Action Plan, a proposal that included projects with greenhouse gas reduction measures and input from community surveys and Hoosiers […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
IDEM Hosts Gary Public Meeting for Climate Pollution Reduction Grant
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is hosting additional public meetings in Gary, where residents can voice their opinions on how funds for a new climate pollution reduction grant should be spent. The Gary meeting will occur on Thursday, Feb. 1, in the Gary Public Library & Cultural Center community room. Scott Deloney, branch chief […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
Deadline Nears for Public Comments on Pollution Reduction Plan
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is conducting a survey asking Indiana residents to weigh in on how the state could spend federal grant money intended to improve Indiana’s air quality. Part of that process is soliciting community feedback, particularly from groups that have historically not been part of climate decisions but may have been […]