Steelmaker in Dearborn will spend $100M to reduce emissions after repeated air quality violations
The Dearborn Works facility owned by Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corporation.
DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A steel manufacturer with a facility in Wayne County has agreed to pay $100 million to reduce emissions from its Dearborn Works plant, after it was found to have violated Clean Air Act rules that limit the number of pollutants can be released.
Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corporation was also fined $81,380 by the state of Michigan for exceeding lead and manganese limits. Additionally, it will need to spend about $244,000 to supply residents that live near the plant with home air purifiers.
The agreement is actually a modification of a consent decree between the federal and state government and Cleveland-Cliffs originally set in 2015. The decree required the company's Dearborn plant to address air pollution issues.
However, that measure failed to bring the plant into compliance, prompting the Environmental Protection Agency to modify the decree with the steelmaker.
The new rule will require the company to replace the machine that removes particulate matter from its exhaust gases. There will also be routine testing required of the machine to make sure the plant is staying in compliance.
According to the manufacturer's website, Dearborn Works builds carbon slabs and high-strength steel products.
Fumes with lead and manganese have been shown to be harmful to one's health and is linked to negative impacts of one's nervous system, kidney function, and other vital organs in the human body.
A 30-day public comment period was opened for stakeholders to respond to the modification. You can find it here.