Gary residents will soon get clarity on potential health risks from the city’s Chase Street well after officials announced new testing, a month after federal scientists reported arsenic levels above safety limits. The Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission announced Wednesday it will launch new testing the week of Sept. 22, following community pressure for […]
EPA
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
Gary Well Residents Drank From for Generations Found to Exceed Safe Arsenic Levels
The Chase Street water well, a longtime drinking source for some Gary residents, has tested for arsenic levels above federal safety limits, raising new concerns about public health. For decades, the well, located near the 3600 block of Chase Street, has been seen as a community staple, championed by residents for its mineral-rich water. But […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
Key Pollution Hearings This Week Give Gary Residents a Chance to Speak
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 […]
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 inAir Pollution, Environmental Justice
Braun’s Executive Order Sparks Alarm in Polluted Communities Like Gary
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun’s latest executive order eliminating environmental justice protections is sparking concern in communities like Gary, a city long plagued by industrial pollution. Environmental advocates warn that gutting oversight will leave vulnerable residents with fewer safeguards against toxic emissions and hazardous waste. Earlier this week, Braun signed an executive order eliminating “environmental justice” […]
Posted inUtilities
How Lead Pipes Are Being Removed From Gary
In a historic first for the country, the Environmental Protection Agency last month ordered the replacement of lead pipes in drinking water systems within the next 10 years to combat toxic exposure that has endangered public health for decades. The mandate could be a game-changer for cities like Gary, which struggles with aging infrastructure and […]
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, 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 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 […]