July 30 — Industrious Labs has launched the second Sustainable Steel Community Cohort in Northwest Indiana, a leadership development program for community members, faith leaders, workers, and residents impacted by the region's steel industry. Ten participants from Lake and Porter Counties will spend the next five months developing storytelling, advocacy, and organizing skills while deepening their understanding of the steel industry, modernization pathways, and the decisions facing Gary Works and Burns Harbor.
Northwest Indiana's three integrated steel mills produce roughly one out of every five tons of steel made in the United States, but their coal-based blast furnaces are also a major source of air, water, and soil contamination in the region. This cohort launches at a pivotal moment, with Nippon Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs both set to make major investment decisions this year that will shape jobs, air quality, and the industry's future here.
"After a century of powering the American steel industry, people in the Region deserve a real voice in what happens next," said Dan Clark, Senior Field Strategist at Industrious Labs. "This cohort is about building that voice while there's still time to shape these decisions.”
Nippon Steel, which now owns U.S. Steel, has promised to spend $3.1 billion at Gary Works by 2028. Of that, $350 million is going toward a reline of Blast Furnace 14, a repair that will keep the 50-year-old coal-burning furnace running through the 2040s. Roughly $2.2 billion remains unallocated, with no public commitment yet to Direct Reduction. Meanwhile, Cleveland-Cliffs is expected to reline a blast furnace at its Burns Harbor plant in 2027.
Outside of Northwest Indiana, steelmakers are investing billions in cleaner Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) technology. Nippon Steel itself is building a $1.9 billion DRI facility in Arkansas. Hyundai Steel is constructing a $5.8 billion DRI-fed plant in Louisiana, and a separate $2 billion DRI facility is underway in North Dakota. Meanwhile, a recent report from Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute found that Northwest Indiana's steel jobs are at stake under current trends: direct steel employment in the region could fall from roughly 9,000 today to fewer than 5,000 by 2034, while modernizing the mills could sustain stronger long-term employment.
The 2026 cohort builds on a 2024 pilot cohort, as those alumni continue to engage in efforts to bring modern clean steel-making to Northwest Indiana. For more information about the Sustainable Steel Community Cohort, visit SteelCohort.org.
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About Industrious Labs:
Industrious Labs is a non-governmental organization dedicated to transforming heavy industry to drive solutions that cut pollution, create good jobs, and build healthier, more equitable communities. Learn more at www.industriouslabs.org.