MERRILLVILLE, IN – On Saturday, thirteen local residents graduated from the inaugural Sustainable Steel Community Cohort (SSCC), a program designed to equip Northwest Indiana residents with tools to create their own vision for their community and advocate for modern, sustainable steelmaking practices, union jobs, and healthier communities. The program is timely because two of the steel facilities in the region have announced plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in more coal. The stories shared at graduation provide a powerful alternative vision for how steel can promote a healthy community - financially and physically.

Monica Dumas, an educator whose parents both worked at the mills, said of her mother, “When she coughed or blew her nose, black would come out. I was that little girl like, ‘Why is your tissue black mama?’ She said it’s dirty in there. I didn’t know my mother was risking her life to give us a good life.”

Bob Tribble, a steelworker at U.S. Steel Gary Works, summed up many of the visions offered saying, “It’s critical to push for stronger regulations, to demand cleaner technologies and protect good jobs for the future.”

At the graduation, cohort members, including parents, teachers, elected leaders, steelworkers, and faith leaders, shared powerful personal stories highlighting how the industry has provided jobs for their families and community, and contributed to health problems. One key call to action was supporting the 2024 Steel Modernization Act, which will provide $10 billion in funding to transition steel facilities to cleaner, modern technologies. As part of their advocacy, participants collected 40+ letters addressed to Rep. Frank Mrvan, urging him to support the bill.

“This graduation was a celebration of the power of community and collective action,” said Lee Helfend, Senior Field Strategist at Industrious Labs. “These graduates are not just participants—they are leaders, paving the way for a future where clean air, good jobs, and sustainable steelmaking go hand-in-hand in Northwest Indiana.”

Participants attended monthly workshops over five months, learning about steelmaking's environmental, economic, and health impacts while honing their storytelling skills and exploring solutions for creating good jobs and fostering community resilience through green steel initiatives.

“Communities are demanding real solutions to steel industry pollution, and now is the time for action,” said Mike Oles, Indiana Organizing Director at Mighty Earth. “Transitioning to cleaner, modern steelmaking is essential to reducing pollution, protecting public health, and building a stronger, more resilient industry that can thrive for future generations.”

Indiana produces 50% of the U.S.'s coal-based steel, employing nearly 12,000 mostly unionized workers, but the pollution burden on local communities is severe. Northwest Indiana's Gary Works, Burns Harbor, and Indiana Harbor are among the state’s top polluters, emitting harmful substances like carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and lead. As a result, Lake County residents face cancer risks ten times higher than the average U.S. county, alongside elevated rates of asthma and cardiovascular disease due to industrial pollution.

"The steel industry has been the backbone of Northwest Indiana’s economy for decades, but its pollution has come at a heavy cost to the health of frontline communities," said Chris Chyung, Executive Director of Indiana Conservation Voters. "Transitioning to cleaner, more sustainable steelmaking is the only path forward to protect both the health of Hoosiers and the future of our economy."

As communities like Middletown, Ohio, begin transitioning to clean steel with federal support, Indiana must follow suit—especially with two major maintenance investments at Gary Works and Burns Harbor that could lock in pollution for another 15-20 years. Embracing clean steel is critical for protecting public health and aligns with findings from a recent report from Citizens Action Coalition and ACEEE showing that Indiana must decarbonize its steel facilities to stay competitive and safeguard jobs in a rapidly changing global market.

"As our report shows, Indiana needs to move quickly to secure its position in the sustainable steel market," said Ben Inskeep, Program Director at Citizens Action Coalition. "The cohort is helping lay the groundwork for this transition, creating good-paying jobs, long-term economic resilience, and healthier communities across Northwest Indiana."

Photos from the event are available for download here, and b-roll footage is available on Vimeo for download using the password 'steel.'

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About the Sustainable Steel Community Cohort

The Sustainable Steel Community Cohort (SSCC) is a five-month program designed to empower Northwest Indiana residents to advocate for the transition to sustainable steelmaking practices. Through political education, storytelling, and advocacy training, participants develop a shared vision for how to grow the local economy, protect worker health, and address industrial pollution. The cohort was supported by Mighty Earth, Citizens Action Coalition, Indiana Conservation Voters, and led by Industrious Labs.

About Industrious Labs

Industrious Labs is focused on scaling campaigns and building a movement to clean up heavy industry through network and capacity building, research and analysis, data-driven campaigns, and sharp communications.