Illinois EPA announces air pollution reduction agreement with U.S. Steel in Granite City

Springfield—Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott has announced an agreement with United States Steel Corporation in Granite City, on a major air pollution reduction plan that will make the steel making operations at the facility one of the best controlled operations in the country.  U. S. Steel is the only integrated steel manufacturing facility in Illinois. 

 

"This agreement demonstrates that the protection of Illinois jobs and public health can go hand-in-hand," said Director Scott.  "It is an example that cooperation between the Illinois EPA and the regulated community is a viable path for achieving environmental and other desirable goals."

 

The agreement means that U. S. Steel will significantly boost their capture and control of air emissions at the plant by:

• Installing particulate matter emissions capture and control equipment to reduce particulate matter emissions;

• Meeting tighter particulate matter emission limits on operations throughout the steelmaking process;

• Performing enhanced monitoring for particulate matter emissions, including the installation, operation and maintenance of monitoring devices;

• Performing other emissions reduction projects, including the installation of equipment designed to increase capture of emissions and the evaluation of adding additional emissions capture and control equipment;

 

The agreement between U.S. Steel Granite City Works and the Illinois EPA represents a significant step forward in improving air quality in the area.  Compliance monitoring of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for the ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) started in 1999. 

 

"Emission reductions from steelmaking included in the agreement are expected to lower the ambient particulate matter concentrations and improve the air quality conditions for the metropolitan St. Louis area in general and the Granite City area in particular," said Dr. Jay Turner, Associate Professor for Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.  Dr. Turner has been conducting research into ambient particulate burdens and emission sources in the St. Louis area for more than a decade with funding from both the public and private sectors. 

 

Particle matter pollution is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.  Many small particles made up of soot or smoke are able to be seen with the naked eye while others are so small, they can only be detected using an electron microscope.  Particulate matter pollution can detrimentally impact both health and visibility. 

 

Reductions in particulate matter benefits can mean fewer premature fatalities and a reduction in cases of chronic bronchitis, non-fatal heart attacks, respiratory and cardiovascular disease and significant reductions in days of restricted activity due to respiratory illness.  Further benefits include health improvements for children from respiratory illness, acute bronchitis and asthma attacks.  Fine particles such as PM_2.5 are the major cause of reduced visibility, or haze, in parts of the United States, including many national parks and wilderness areas. 

 

The memorandum of understanding containing the terms of the agreement became effective on July 1, 2010 with signatures from both parties.