EPA hearing on draft U.S. Steel Permit set for Dec. 11 in Gary

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 will hold a public hearing on Dec. 11 at Indiana University Northwest on the draft wastewater permit for U.S. Steel Corp. Gary Works developed by Indiana Department of Environmental Management. EPA Regional Administrator Mary A. Gade will chair the hearing.

The purpose of the hearing is to listen to comments about EPA’s objections to the draft permit. Comments will also be accepted on aspects of the draft permit not addressed by the objections. Written and oral comments will be accepted following a brief presentation by EPA.

The hearing will take place at Indiana University Northwest, Savannah Auditorium, 3400 Broadway Ave., Gary, from 3 to 5 p.m., and 6 to 8:30 p.m. Advertisements announcing the hearing will be published Nov. 9 in the Gary Post-Tribune, Northwest Indiana Times, Chicago Sun-Times and St. Joseph, Mich., Herald Palladium newspapers.

The permit is for the steel mill to discharge into Lake Michigan, the Grand Calumet River and Stockton Pond. he facility is the largest fully integrated steel mill in the U.S.

On Oct. 1, EPA notified the Indiana Department of Environmental Management that it had objections to certain parts of the permit that must be resolved before the permit can be issued. EPA raised further objections in a second letter sent Oct. 16.

Comments may be submitted in writing between Nov. 9 and Dec. 28 to: David Soong, EPA Region 5, NPDES Programs Branch (WN-16J), 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604. Comments may also be submitted through EPA’s Web site www.epa.gov/region5/publiccomment or faxed to 312-886-0168.