EPA v. ARCELORMITTAL STEEL USA

Case summary

This Consent Decree resolves numerous violations of the Clean Air Act and Indiana and Ohio State Implementation Plans at four integrated iron and steel plants in Indiana and Ohio owned by ArcelorMittal. The settlement is the culmination of 7 years of settlement negotiations and resolves violations including excess emissions of HAPs dating back as far as 2006. ArcelorMittal violated numerous provisions of NESHAPs for Integrated Iron and Steel Plants, Coke Ovens, Steel Pickling and HCl Processing Facilities, the NSPS AAa for Steel Plants: Electric Arc Furnaces, their Title V operating permit requirements, provisions of the Indiana and Ohio State Implementation Plans. Specifically, these violations resulted in the release of excess emissions from numerous operations throughout the four facilities. Additionally, this settlement resolves numerous violations of monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. This settlement will help reduce environmental justice communities? exposure to excess PM, visible emissions, SO2, NOx, CO, VOCs, and HAPs. Under the settlement terms, ArcelorMittal agrees to develop and implement procedures to reduce excess emissions from the BOF Shop, blast furnaces, and coke oven batteries, install and operate an emission suppression system with an enclosure during beaching events, implement an electronic data management program to ensure all required calibrations and inspections are scheduled and completed on time, discontinue use of coal as a fuel at an onsite boiler, and conduct enhanced monitoring at blast furnaces, blast furnace casthouses, and basic oxygen furnace shops to demonstrate compliance with applicable standards. The injunctive relief together with the compliance projects ArcelorMittal performed during settlement negotiations results in reduced emissions of approximately 17,702 tons per year. ArcelorMittal is also required to pay a total civil penalty of $5,189,658. Of this amount, $2,594,829 will be paid to the United State, $2,222,969.50 will be paid to the State of Indiana, and $371,859.50 will be paid to the State of Ohio.

Defendants (1)

• ARCELORMITTAL STEEL USANamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (18)

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3001 DICKEY ROAD, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1610

  Registry ID: 110008339333

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3210 WATLING ST, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1716

  Registry ID: 110066942526

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3210 WATLING ST, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1716

  Registry ID: 110066942526

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3001 DICKEY ROAD, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1610

  Registry ID: 110008339333

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3210 WATLING ST, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1716

  Registry ID: 110066942526

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3210 WATLING ST, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1716

  Registry ID: 110066942526

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3210 WATLING ST, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1716

  Registry ID: 110066942526

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS BURNS HARBOR LLC

  250 W US HWY 12, BURNS HARBOR, IN, 46304-9727

  Registry ID: 110000607558

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS BURNS HARBOR LLC

  250 W US HWY 12, BURNS HARBOR, IN, 46304-9727

  Registry ID: 110000607558

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS BURNS HARBOR LLC

  250 W US HWY 12, BURNS HARBOR, IN, 46304-9727

  Registry ID: 110000607558

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3001 DICKEY ROAD, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1610

  Registry ID: 110008339333

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3210 WATLING ST, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1716

  Registry ID: 110066942526

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3210 WATLING ST, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1716

  Registry ID: 110066942526

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC

  3210 WATLING ST, EAST CHICAGO, IN, 46312-1716

  Registry ID: 110066942526

• CLEVELAND-CLIFFS BURNS HARBOR LLC

  250 W US HWY 12, BURNS HARBOR, IN, 46304-9727

  Registry ID: 110000607558

• …and 3 more

Statutes cited

• CAA 112D — MACT Standards
• CAA 112 — Hazardous Air Pollutants
• CAA 111 — New Source Performance Standards
• CAA 110 — Implementation Plan for National Primary and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• ARCELORMITTAL STEEL USA - CLEVELAND-CLIFFSentered 2020-04-01

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $2,594,829 · State/local: $2,407,329

Timeline (5 milestones)

• 2008-06-25Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2008-07-10Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2018-01-25Complaint Filed With Court
• 2019-05-13Final Order Lodged
• 2020-04-01Final Order Entered