Local environmental and health groups in US Steel call for dialogue with Nippon Steel
Kayoko Kitamura (Alterna, Rotating Editor in Chief)
Key points
- Local environmental and health groups in US Steel are calling for dialogue with Nippon Steel
- Residents in the area have suffered health issues for years due to air pollution from US Steel’s blast furnaces
- Nippon Steel’s corporate stance is being questioned regarding whether it will sincerely engage with local stakeholders
Following the completion of Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US Steel, environmental and health groups in the area where US Steel’s blast furnaces are located held a press conference on June 25 (Japan time) to demand dialogue with Nippon Steel. Local residents have long suffered from health issues such as premature death and asthma due to air pollution caused by US Steel’s coal-fired blast furnaces. While Nippon Steel has promised to renovate and extend the lifespan of US Steel’s blast furnaces, local groups argue that the voices of those directly affected have not been heard and are calling for sincere engagement with the local community.(Alterna, Rotating Editor-in-Chief: Kayoko Kitamura)
(photo) US Steel’s Gary Plant (Indiana, USA) / (c) Just Transition Northwest Indiana / Matthew Kaplan
“Now that the acquisition is complete and the investment plan has been announced, this is the time for Nippon Steel to listen to what the local community wants. By addressing the challenges faced by the region, Nippon Steel could become a hero.”
Matthew Mehalik, Executive Director of the Breathe Project, an environmental and health organization based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, emphasized this point at a press conference.
The Breathe Project is a group of citizens, environmental activists, public health experts, and academic researchers working together to eliminate air pollution and improve air quality based on cutting-edge science and technology, with the goal of creating a healthy and livable community.
The Breathe Project has installed numerous real-time cameras at US Steel’s Mon Valley Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, allowing anyone to view emissions footage on the organization’s website (https://breathecam.org/).
“Up to 2,000 premature deaths over 10 years due to blast furnace extension”
In October 2024, the US environmental group Industries Lab published a report summarizing the air pollution levels and health impacts of coal-fired steel plants across the United States, broken down by facility.
According to the report, air pollution from US Steel’s coal-fired steel production facilities and coke ovens causes up to 200 premature deaths, 55,400 asthma symptoms, and approximately 12,000 days of absenteeism annually.
In response to Nippon Steel’s agreement to extend the lifespan of US Steel’s facilities by 10 years, the Breathe Project expressed concerns that this could result in “up to 2,000 premature deaths, over 550,000 asthma symptoms, and over 120,000 days of absenteeism or missed work over a 10-year period.”
The health costs (medical expenses) associated with extending the lifespan of blast furnaces are estimated to range from $16 billion to $30 billion (approximately 2.3 trillion to 4.3 trillion yen).
Mr. Mehaik commented, “Without treating public health and regional revitalization as inviolable priorities, there can be no true progress.”
He called for upgrading to DRI (hydrogen direct reduction ironmaking process) technology and electric furnaces instead of unnecessarily extending the lifespan of the oldest blast furnace clusters in the United States.
High risk of asthma and cancer near steel mills
Pennsylvania is home to US Steel’s headquarters, as well as the Mon Valley Works, which operates coal-fired blast furnaces, and the Clairton plant in the southwestern part of the state.
According to estimates by the Breathe Project, between 2020 and 2022, up to 1,373 people per year died in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, where the Mon Valley Steel Works is located, due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emitted from coal-fired steel plants.
Mr. Mehalik explained, “PM2.5 levels in this area are 96% worse than other monitoring sites across the United States, and approximately 1.8 million people in Allegheny County are exposed to cancer risks. Ninety percent of the carcinogens in the county come from substances emitted by blast furnaces.”
“It is estimated that $400 million (approximately 58 billion yen) is needed to address regional health issues.This amount is covered by Nippon Steel’s announced capital investment plan.” (Mr. Mehalik)
According to research results published by the Breathe Project in April 2025, the school absentee rate among students with asthma in the area around the Clairton plant in the southwestern part of the state is 80% higher on days with severe air pollution.
“A life where children no longer need to carry inhalers in their school bags”
“I don’t want to continue this life where children have to carry inhalers in their school bags,” said Qiyam Ansari, Western Pennsylvania Field Organizer for the Sierra Club, an environmental NGO in the United States, highlighting the severe situation on the ground.
According to Mr. Ansari, in areas near the Clarion plant such as Liberty and North Braddock, one in four children suffers from asthma, and school absences and emergency hospitalizations occur daily, with adults facing the same issues.
“We urge Nippon Steel to consider future investments with a vision for the future of the community,” Mr. Ansari pleads earnestly.
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Northwestern Indiana also becomes a “source of pollution”
Indiana is also home to a steel plant owned by US Steel that uses coal as its main raw material. It is the Gary plant.
“Due to the plant’s century-long discharge of toxic substances, northwestern Indiana has become a pollution hotspot in the United States and the world,” said Susan Thomas, Director of Policy & Press at Just Transition Northwest Indiana, a local organization.
“A UNICEF report has revealed that air pollution is the leading cause of death among children under five in this region. Continuing to operate coal-fired blast furnaces is nothing but a waste of valuable time. Nippon Steel has the opportunity and responsibility to become a leader in clean steel production, and we urge them to take that role here,” she added.
Dorreen Carey, who has lived in Gary for over 40 years and serves as the President of Gary Advocates for Responsible Development or “GARD”, a local organization advocating for community health and sustainable development, points out, “For Nippon Steel to become a good neighbor to Gary’s residents, it must take two actions.”
“First, it must withdraw US Steel’s request to the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) for an exemption from air pollution regulations and immediately accept and comply with strict regulations. Second, it must replace the outdated blast furnaces at the Gary plant with clean DRI (hydrogen direct reduction ironmaking) technology that is competitive both domestically and internationally.”(Ms. Carey)
Photo: US Steel’s Gary plant / (c) Just Transition Northwest Indiana / Matthew Kaplan
Stakeholder engagement stance questioned
Through the press conference, the groups did not only highlight the long-standing health impacts. Disappointment over “US Steel repeatedly breaking its promises” was evident throughout the conference.
Regarding Nippon Steel’s acquisition, while expectations were high due to the large investment amount, there was disappointment over the content of previous announcements, with Mr. Mehalik stating, “We are disappointed.”
US Steel has paid a total of $64 million (approximately 9.2 billion yen) in air pollution enforcement measures, fines, and settlement fees for three coal-using facilities at the Mon Valley Steel Work since January 2020. This averages approximately $900,000 (about 130 million yen) per month.
From January 2025 onwards, the company faces additional fines of over $7.4 million (approximately 1 billion yen) for the same violations.
“US Steel has repeatedly violated regulations. Regarding the Clairton plant, a lawsuit seeking the revocation of the operating permit was filed in November 2024,“ Mr. Mehalik added.
Mr. Ansari of the Sierra Club emphasized the necessity of dialogue with Nippon Steel, the parent company of US Steel, stating, ”It is essential that the company reach an agreement with local residents at the negotiating table before signing contracts or issuing press releases.”
“We want the company to invest in the health of local residents. Additionally, we demand that a responsible party be appointed to ensure the proper fulfillment and enforcement of the commitments made,” Mr. Ansari stated.
Nippon Steel now faces a critical test of its corporate stance: whether it can sincerely engage with local stakeholders.
