EPA v. U.S. STEEL - CD

Case summary

For Sections 20, 21, 22 above, VOC emissions are also reduced by 1,073,190 pounds per year. U. S. Steel owns and operates three integrated iron and steel manufacturing facilities in Region 5: Gary Works in Gary, Indiana; Great Lakes Works in Ecorse, Michigan (adjacent to Detroit); and Granite City Works in Granite City, Illinois. U. S. Steel also owned and operated cokemaking facilities at the Gary Works and the Granite City Works, which have recently permanently closed. The filed complaint includes numerous alleged violations of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) applicable to iron and steel manufacturing and coke ovens, the State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, and the facilities' Title V permits. The alleged violations include numerous violations of opacity standards; inspection, operation, and maintenance requirements; recordkeeping and reporting requirements; and, good air pollution practice standards. The consent decree includes the following injunctive relief: (1) interim repair of the bell top seal at the B2 blast furnace by December 15, 2016, replacement of the bell top by December 31, 2017, and quarterly inspection of the bell top at the Great Lakes Works; (2) installation of sheeting to enclose openings at the No. 6 Blast Furnace at the Gary Works within 180 days of consent decree entry; (3) performance of a third-party study at the Great Lakes Works BOP Shop to identify measures to be implemented to achieve compliance with roof monitor opacity limits, submittal of a plan to implement such measures and enhanced visible observation monitoring of the roof monitor with stipulated penalties for failure to meet opacity limits after corrective action measures are implemented; and (4) submittal and implementation of a plan to ensure proper placement of blast furnace runner covers during normal operation at the Great Lakes Works and the Granite City Works. There are no injunctive relief measures for the cokemaking facilities at the Gary Works and the Granite City Works as those facilities have permanently closed. The consent decree also resolves a Violation Notice issued by MDEQ and a Notice of Violation/Finding of Violation issued by EPA Region 5 identifying alleged CAA violations associated with the sudden collapse of exhaust gas ductwork at the Basic Oxygen Process Shop (BOP Shop) at the Great Lakes Works on March 27, 2014. The consent decree requires U. S. Steel to submit and implement a plan to ensure proper maintenance and operation of the dirty gas main ductwork at the Great Lakes Works BOP Shop. U.S. Steel has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $2.2 million for its violations of the CAA ($1 million to the United States, and $400,000 to each state co-plaintiff).

Defendants (1)

• U.S. STEEL (USX, GARY WORKS)Named in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (15)

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• GRANITE CITY WORKS OF UNITED STATES STEEL CORP

  1951 STATE ST, GRANITE CITY, IL, 62040-4622

  Registry ID: 110018406679

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• U S STEEL GREAT LAKES WORKS

  1 QUALITY DRIVE, ECORSE, MI, 48229

  Registry ID: 110000497141

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS

  1 N BROADWAY, GARY, IN, 46402-3101

  Registry ID: 110000398374

• U S STEEL GREAT LAKES WORKS

  1 QUALITY DRIVE, ECORSE, MI, 48229

  Registry ID: 110000497141

Statutes cited

• CAA 502 — Operating Permits (Title V)
• CAA 112 — Hazardous Air Pollutants
• CAA 110 — Implementation Plan for National Primary and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• U.S. STEEL - CDentered 2017-03-30

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $1,000,000 · State/local: $1,200,000 · SEP: $1,660,000

Timeline (7 milestones)

• 2008-09-24Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2008-09-29Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2009-09-23Supplemental Referral-Adding parties, counts
• 2011-09-21Supplemental Referral-Adding parties, counts
• 2012-08-01Complaint Filed With Court
• 2016-11-22Final Order Lodged
• 2017-03-30Final Order Entered