&EPA
     United Slates
     Environmental Protection
     Agency
  For more information
  You may review the permit
  documents (technical fact sheet,
  draft permit and attachments) on
  IDEM's Web site at
  www. idem. IN .gov.

  You may direct questions to the
  IDEM Office of Water Quality
  Permits Branch at 800-451-6027,
  Ext. 2-8631. Or contact:
  David Soong
  NPDES  Programs Branch
  EPA Region 5 (mail code WN-16J)
  77 W. Jackson Blvd.
  Chicago, IL 60604
  800-621-8431, Ext. 6-0136
  soong.david@epa.gov

  Background
  IDEM originally produced a draft
  wastewater permit for U.S. Steel in
  July 2007 and sought public
  comments on the document. EPA
  Region 5 reviewed the draft permit
  and objected to it in October 2007.

  In December of that year, Region 5
  held a public hearing to listen to
  public comments on its objections.
  Since then, EPA has reviewed the
  hundreds of comments received and
  has worked closely with IDEM as
  the  state agency developed a new
  permit to resolve the objections.

  U.S. Steel's Gary Works is the
  largest fully integrated steel mill in
  North America and is able to
  produce more than 8 million tons of
  raw steel per year. Gary Works
  discharges water used in its
  operations into both the Grand
  Calumet River and Lake Michigan.
EPA Withdraws Objections
to Steel Plant Water  Permit
                                    U.S. Steel Wastewater Permit
                                    Gary, Indiana
                                              October  2009
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 plans to drop its
objections to a wastewater permit for U.S. Steel's Gary Works in Gary,
Ind., after the state proposes a revised permit that takes into account EPA's
objections and those of the public.

The permit is required under the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES. Indiana Department of
Environmental Management is expected to issue a new draft permit
Wednesday, Oct. 14, and then seek public comments. EPA Region 5 plans
to officially withdraw its objections the following day.

At the same time, EPA will release its response to public comments
received at a 2007 public hearing on Region 5's objections to the original
IDEM draft permit. The response to comments will be posted online at
www.epa.gov/region5/sites/ussteel.

When IDEM announces the  new draft permit, it will open another 45-day
public comment period. Additionally, EPA Region 5 will review the new
draft NPDES permit carefully, as well as any significant public comments
IDEM receives.

The two agencies are working closely together, and public participation
has been and continues to be an important part of the permit process.
Many of the public comments IDEM received on the original permit were
similar to concerns the federal agency had raised, and they were taken into
consideration by IDEM in its drafting of the revised permit.

NPDES permits help the environment
The Clean Water Act requires those responsible for discharges from any
point source into the "waters of the United States" to obtain an NPDES
permit. The permit contains  the conditions the applicant must meet in
order to comply with the Clean Water Act to safeguard public health and
the environment. These permits cover different activities and different
types of discharges, including discharges from industrial facilities like
U.S. Steel's Gary Works.

In Indiana, IDEM has the authority to issue NPDES permits for
wastewater discharges within the state. However, EPA may object to the
issuance of a permit when in the Agency's opinion it does not comply with
the requirements of federal laws.

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