Fighting for air: Activists demand change outside steel plant at Detroit-Dearborn border

DEARBORN, Mich (FOX 2) - People living in the Southern portion of Dearborn joined Clear the Air, the Dearborn Health Department, and others to call for change. They want the Cleveland Cliffs steel plant to "clean up their act" and produce less pollution.

"In what world is it morally acceptable for race to be the greatest predictor of your exposure to pollution," said Andrew Bashi, Great Lakes Environmental Law Center.

The steel plant is located in the south end of Dearborn near the southwest Detroit area, at 4001 Miller Road.

"I developed asthma in 2018. I had no issues breathing whatsoever until I moved to Southwest Detroit," said Darren Riley. "It really hit home for me, but what really hit home and opened my eyes, were my neighbors, the people at the playground, the people on the basketball court, all had the same disease."

Riley is the founder and CEO of Just Air Solutions lives about 10 minutes from the site of Cleveland Cliffs. He was flanked by people who live in Dearborn, in the shadow of the facility.

"Cliffs needs to invest in technology that can meet customer demand but more importantly, deliver cleaner air to the steel community surrounding it," said Maricela Gutierrez, Industrious labs senior strategist.

Their request is they want the plant to transition to a greener cleaner method of steel making.

"We will need all hands on deck," said Gutierrez. "We’ve seen business as usual can not persist. Together we can get cleaner air, we can get good jobs we can get healthier communities."

They are hoping to improve air quality standards there and across Michigan.

"We’re here today not just as environmentalists, we’re here as civil rights activists," Bashi said. "What communities like these are facing is the forefront of civil rights issues of our time."