CANTON − Republic Steel has agreed to pay $300,000 to the city and $60,000 to the Ohio EPA to settle a court case over air pollution violations at the Canton mill, which closed in August.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on Tuesday announced the agreement with Republic Steel, a subsidiary of Mexican-based Grupo Simec. The company's payment to the city is to fund a residential house-cleaning program or similar community project. Led Extrusion Housing
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"The emissions left black dust scattered across homes and neighborhoods, posing an unacceptable and unhealthy nuisance," Yost said in a prepared statement. "The required comprehensive cleanup effort combined with this settlement is a crucial step toward the long-term well-being of northeastern Ohio."
Republic Steel also is required to submit its shutdown plan to the Ohio EPA and, within 30 days after the judge signs the order, request the termination of air permits for the site. The state's settlement money will fund future air monitoring.
The company must follow Ohio air pollution control laws during the permanent closure process and will face "a detailed schedule of stipulated penalties" if it doesn't, according to Yost's announcement. Attorneys from his Environmental Enforcement Section represented the Ohio EPA and the Air Pollution Control Division of Canton City Public Health.
Representatives from Republic Steel did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Residents in the vicinity of the steel mill at 2633 Eighth St. NE have complained for years about dust and dirt that they suspected came from Republic Steel.
Nearly a dozen people went before Canton City Council in 2017 to report discolored house siding, dust-covered vehicles and concerns about their health after learning the factory used lead. That prompted an investigation by the city's Air Pollution Control Division, which is part of the Ohio EPA's local air agency network.
An air monitor was installed in 2017 along Georgetown Road and, after Republic Steel repeatedly exceeded federal limits for lead emissions, two more air monitors were installed at Marietta Avenue and Georgetown Road NE in 2022. Plans for additional community monitoring funded by a U.S. EPA grant started this year and are continuing despite the plant's closure.
Read more:Former workers at Republic Steel concerned about lead exposure, long-term health
The Ohio Attorney General's Office filed a civil complaint on behalf of the Ohio EPA with the Stark County Common Pleas Court, and Judge Kristin Farmer's court order has governed the steel mill's operations since July 2021.
Separately, the U.S. EPA issued Republic Steel a notice of violation for excessive lead emissions in November 2021. The company agreed last December to pay a $990,000 civil penalty and reduce lead emissions as part of a Clean Air Act settlement with the Department of Justice and U.S. EPA.
Then this summer, Republic Steel abruptly announced an indefinite idle of steelmaking and the furlough of about 500 workers at Ohio and New York mills. Through public records requests, The Canton Repository confirmed that the closures were permanent.
Hardware Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or kelly.byer@cantonrep.comOn X, formerly known as Twitter: @kbyerREP