Dearborn, MI - A modification to a 2015 Consent Decree between the United States, the State of Michigan and the Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corporation (formerly AK Steel) to resolve Clean Air Act violations at the company’s Dearborn, Michigan steel manufacturing plant was finalized on April 5, 2024.
The final decree requires the Dearborn plant to install a new electrostatic precipitator (ESP), and conduct regular testing of it, provide nearby homeowners with air purifiers, and require the company to pay fines for past violations.
The original 2015 Consent Decree included measures to address visible air emissions from the plant. Because these measures failed to bring the plant into full Clean Air Act compliance, the modification required Cleveland-Cliffs to replace the ESP. This was included to reduce visible emissions from the plant, as well as curtail emissions of manganese and lead. The construction of the ESP was completed in March 2023, and it is in operation.
The company will also pay a civil penalty of $81,380 to the State of Michigan for violating the state permit’s opacity, lead, and manganese limits. Additionally, Cleveland-Cliffs will implement a supplemental environmental project in which nearby residents will receive home air purifiers, at an estimated cost of $244,000.
More information about the Consent Decree
Read more about the original settlement and find more detailed information about this modification in the Air Quality Enforcement Factsheet.
Other supporting documents:
- Public Comment
- Declaration in support of unopposed motion to enter Consent Decree
- Joint unopposed motion to enter first material modification to Consent Decree
Information about past air quality inspections and violations can be found on EGLE’s Cleveland-Cliff’s source information page.