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The Price of Steel in Gary, Indiana

By Carly Oboth

Steel has long been a cornerstone of American industry, synonymous with strength and progress. The industry helped build cities like Gary, Indiana, providing generations of families with good union jobs and a pathway to the middle class. Yet, this progress came at a steep cost to public health and the planet. 

Facing the environmental damage and public health crises stemming from dirty steelmaking requires leadership by the steel industry, and the industries that benefit from it, to adopt cleaner and safer practices. For communities impacted by the steel industry, this need is personal. 

Rachelle Morgan Ceaser was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. She is a dedicated advocate for her community where she works as the executive director at the Gary Sanitary District. She recently participated in a state-based Sustainable Steel Community Cohort, sponsored by Industrious Labs. I recently had the opportunity to hear her share her story about how the steel industry has impacted her life and community. This blog includes excerpts from her story.

“[Rachelle’s] parents, like many others, were part of the Great Migration. They journeyed from the farmlands of Arkansas, seeking opportunities in the burgeoning steel industry that

promised a new life. Both of them found work in the steel mills that powered the expansion of the middle class in America. The mills were more than just factories; they were engines of economic growth, hope, and possibility for Black families like mine. But it has also taken much from us. The steel mills, over the course of a century, have contaminated our shores, our air, and our water.”

This duality—prosperity alongside environmental degradation—reflects the troubling story of coal-based steelmaking’s public health impacts. In Gary, once a thriving hub for the steel industry, the environmental and health costs of this industry linger. From increased respiratory diseases due to polluted air to contaminated water sources that endanger entire communities, the legacy of steel production is not just economic; it affects everyone who lives in and around Gary.

Coal-based steelmaking relies heavily on coke—a purified form of coal—that not only contributes to greenhouse gas emissions but also releases harmful pollutants like sulfur dioxide and particulate matter. These pollutants are linked to chronic health conditions, including asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer. For families in industrial towns like Gary, the air they breathe and the water they drink bear the invisible burden of steel production.

According to a new analysis of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data by Industrious Labs, the Gary Works steel mill in Gary, Indiana, emitted 182 tons of 24 different toxic pollutants into the air in 2022. This kind of pollution has a devastating toll, resulting in as many as 500 premature deaths annually. Additionally, air pollution alone is responsible for about 230 ER visits due to respiratory symptoms and over 27,000 missed work days in Indiana alone per year. These kinds of public health impacts are estimated by the EPA to cost the state between $3.4 to $7.6 billion annually.

As Rachelle notes, “for much of [my life] there was no regulation, no safeguards to protect the health of the people or the environment. Today, agencies like the EPA and [the Indiana Department of Environmental Management] work to enforce regulations, but we still bear the scars of that pollution.”

While the steel industry must shoulder its share of responsibility, automakers—key consumers of steel—cannot remain passive observers. Companies like Ford, which positions itself as a leader in innovation and sustainability, have an opportunity to extend their impact beyond electric vehicles and emissions reductions. They must scrutinize their supply chains and consider the human and environmental costs embedded in their materials.

Automakers like Ford are major buyers of steel and have a critical role to play in addressing the harmful impacts of coal-based steelmaking and supporting affected communities.  Automakers can support modernizing the steel industry and creating good jobs in the steel industry while doing their part to clean up our air and water by making commitments to buy clean steel.  

Ford’s influence extends beyond the cars it builds; it shapes perceptions of corporate responsibility. By demanding cleaner steel production processes from their suppliers or investing in alternative materials, automakers can drive change in the steel industry. They can—and should—become advocates for both innovation and justice, helping to remediate the environmental harm and public health impacts that plague communities like Gary.

The story of steel in Gary, Indiana, is not just one of loss but of resilience. According to Rachelle, “steel has always symbolized strength, resilience, and durability. These qualities must now guide the industry in the next chapter of its journey.” 

That next chapter requires bold action from the steelmakers and the companies that depend on them. Here’s what we want to see:

  1. Transition to Cleaner Technologies: Steelmakers must adopt less carbon-intensive methods, such as electric arc furnaces powered by renewable energy.
  2. Supply Chain Accountability: Automakers should establish stringent environmental and ethical standards for their suppliers, prioritizing partnerships with steel producers that invest in cleaner technologies.
  3. Community Investment: Corporations that benefit from steel—including automakers—must fund remediation efforts in communities impacted by pollution. This includes cleaning up contaminated sites and investing in healthcare and job training programs.

The challenges facing Gary and similar communities, including Dearborn, Michigan—Ford’s own headquarters—are significant, but the solutions are within reach. Automakers like Ford should lead this effort, not just as innovators of the products we drive but as stewards of the materials that build them. By taking responsibility for the steel in their supply chains, they can honor the legacy of cities like Gary while paving the way for a cleaner, healthier future.

It is time to redefine what leadership means in the automotive and steel industries. True leadership lies not just in profits and technological breakthroughs but in the willingness to confront difficult truths and take bold steps to address them. For the sake of communities like Gary, we must demand nothing less.