Lake County received three failing grades from the American Lung Association, and Porter County isn’t much better.
The findings come on the heels of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s possible air pollution exemptions for corporations.
“Even as more people are breathing unhealthy air, the federal staff, programs and policies that are supposed to be cleaning up pollution are facing rollbacks, restructuring and funding challenges,” Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, said in a Wednesday news release. “For decades, (the EPA) has worked to ensure people have clean air to breathe, from providing trustworthy air quality forecasts to making sure polluters who violate the law clean up. Efforts to slash staff, funding and programs at EPA are leaving families even more vulnerable to harmful air pollution. We need to protect EPA.”
On Wednesday, the American Lung Association released its 2025 “State of the Air” report, which found that 156 million people live in areas that received failing grades for either ozone or particle pollution, according to the organization’s website.
The American Lung Association is the leading organization focused on improving lung health and preventing lung disease, according to its website.
Lake County failed in all three categories: ozone pollution, 24-hour particle pollution and annual particle pollution. Porter County only received a passing grade for annual particle pollution.
“Families across the U.S. are dealing with the health impacts of air pollution every day, and extreme heat and wildfires are making it worse,” Wimmer said in the release. “Air pollution is causing kids to have asthma attacks, making people who work outdoors sick, and leading to low birth weight in babies. This year’s report shows the dramatic impact that air pollution has on a growing number of people.”
Ozone and particle pollution can cause premature death and other health effects including asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, preterm births and impaired cognitive funding, according to the American Lung Association. The organization also found that particle pollution can cause lung cancer.
Ashley Williams, executive director of Just Transition Northwest Indiana, said the American Lung Association’s grades are unsurprising and appalling.
In a Thursday statement, Williams said state agencies continue to issue industry permits that “sorely lack consideration of public health, cumulative pollution impacts and environmental harms.”
“We call for accountability and investments in alternative, renewable solutions that are severely overdue to address this situation,” Williams said in a statement. “The urgency has never been more dire in light of EPA’s recent funding cuts and executive orders from (Gov. Mike Braun) that undermine environmental justice.”
Corporations could apply for presidential exemptions to sections of the Clean Air Act by March 31, according to the EPA website. The exemptions were allowed to advance President Donald Trump’s executive orders.
Trump will decide which corporations receive exemptions based “on the merits.” Exemptions can be extended for up to two additional years and can be renewed.
The EPA’s website does not say when exemptions will be awarded.
According to Post-Tribune archives, an analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund and Environmental Law and Policy Center showed that more than 500 facilities in 45 states were invited to apply for exemptions.
Cleveland-Cliffs and U.S. Steel facilities in Northwest Indiana were included. Both companies were unable to comment on the exemptions.
Gary Advocates for Responsible Development sent a letter to U.S. Steel executive leadership, asking to disclose whether the corporation requested an exemption for its Gary Works facility.
GARD sent the letter to U.S. Steel on April 16, and as of April 21, the advocacy organization had not yet heard back.
U.S. Steel, on Thursday, did not respond to Post-Tribune’s request for comment about the letter.
Northwest Indiana communities “have a right to know” if U.S. Steel applied for exemptions, GARD’s letter said.
“The U.S. Steel Gary Works steel mill is one of the largest sources of air pollution in Northwest Indiana, an area that has been overburdened by dangerous and dirty air for decades,” the letter said. “Residents of these communities and steel workers face elevated risks of respiratory illness, brain damage and cancer from steel mills’ emissions.”
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
