|
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) released the following statement today in response to today’s Chicago Tribune article regarding the proposed wastewater permit for U.S. Steel Corporation’s Gary, Indiana facility.
“I strongly urge the U.S. Steel Corporation and the Indiana EPA to abandon plans to issue a permit to dump more toxic chemicals and heavy metals into Lake Michigan.
The effects of this permit would be disastrous for our environment and dangerous to the health of 30 million Americans who rely on Lake Michigan for their drinking water. No company or state should be allowed to treat any of the Great Lakes as their own personal dumping ground.
The U.S. Steel Corporation is already the largest source of pollution in Lake Michigan. The proposed permit would weaken standards even further which could eventually lead to a violation of the Clean Water Act. Senator Durbin, Rep. Emanuel and I sent letters today to the U.S. Steel Corporation and the U.S. EPA inviting them to a meeting to discuss this important issue. In the meantime, I will continue to urge the U.S. Steel Corporation to reconsider its decision to seek a permit that threatens water quality in Lake Michigan.
While the U.S. Steel Corporation has a long record of polluting the environment, the Indiana EPA is also at fault for lowering and eliminating emission standards in the draft permit. It is clear that the Indiana EPA is incapable of enforcing federal and state environmental laws. It is incumbent on the U.S. EPA to make sure that state agencies are complying with the Clean Water Act and holding companies accountable for breaking the law. The U.S. EPA should immediately investigate the effectiveness and management of the Indiana EPA.
Congress should also move quickly to pass my bill H.R. 3360, the Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Act, which would stop this type of situation from happening again in the future. My bill would require all bordering states to sign off on any permit to increase pollution in an adjacent lake. Until the law is changed, we will continue to face these types of problems.”
|
|
