Residents urge action on emissions at Gary Works after public forum

Ray Carey, a First District resident and president of Gary Advocates for Responsible Development, told the Gary Common Council on July 1 that recent public outreach on air pollution showed the steel mill’s emissions remain a public-health concern.

“Gary Works blast furnaces routinely emit hazardous air pollutants such as lead and mercury,” Carey said during the public-comment period. “Gary Works is among the largest sources of particulate matter, nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide in this country.”

Carey said those pollutants “cause respiratory disease, heart disease, and cancers,” and thanked the council’s Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee for holding a public forum on the topic. He asked the city to press Gary Works’ new owners “to invest in cleaner iron making technology at Gary Works that will allow for the mill to provide jobs, clean air, and a sustainable economic future for our city.”

The remarks were delivered as part of public comment and did not prompt a formal council vote. Attorney Malina and Council members present acknowledged the advisory committee’s recent forum; no resolution or ordinance was introduced on the council floor during the meeting.

The Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee — referenced by speakers during the meeting — is the forum Carey credited with raising public awareness. He urged the body and city officials to consider a formal resolution supporting investment in cleaner technology at Gary Works.

Council members did not adopt any motion at the July 1 meeting directing staff to draft or sponsor a resolution; Carey’s request therefore remains a public ask rather than a formal city directive. The council’s next steps and whether the advisory committee will pursue a written recommendation were not specified during the meeting.

Public comment closed after the scheduled speakers, and the council proceeded with votes on ordinances and appointments later in the meeting.