For Donna Ballinger, this isn't an abstract policy debate. She lives roughly 1,000 feet from the Cleveland-Cliffs plant and has spent nine and a half years fighting — first when AK Steel owned the facility, and now under Cleveland-Cliffs' ownership. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati tested her property and neighboring lots for contaminants as recently as April.

The plan currently before Ohio EPA would use carbon offsets from the 2021 decommissioning of a coke battery to balance out emissions generated when the blast furnace and a new on-site power plant come online. That power plant would redirect blast furnace gases and natural gas to generate steam and electricity. But environmental activist Marilyn Wall argues that even if the math works on paper, the result is still more pollution landing in the community.

Everybody here has got health issues. I have COPD. I have at least 20 to 30 sinus infections a year.Donna Ballinger

What's Actually in the Permit Proposal

The new power plant would reduce Cleveland-Cliffs' carbon footprint.

Verdict: mixed

The proposal redirects blast furnace gases to generate electricity on-site, but Ohio EPA Assistant Chief Russell Flagg confirmed the plant would rely on carbon offsets from the 2021 coke battery decommissioning to net out new emissions from the blast furnace and power plant going online — meaning new pollution is added and offset, not eliminated.

Cleveland-Cliffs has explored cleaner alternatives to blast furnace technology.

Verdict: true

The company examined a conversion plan in 2024 that would have transitioned from blast furnaces to Direct Reduced Iron infrastructure and electric melting furnaces. That plan was not the one submitted to the Ohio EPA.

The carbon offset approach adds no net pollution to the community.

Verdict: mixed

Ohio EPA's own representative described the offset mechanism, but local environmental activist Marilyn Wall argued that even if the netting math is correct, the community still receives additional pollution from the new equipment going online.

How Well Do You Know This Fight?

Four questions. The answers reveal what the permit debate is really about.

What is the source of the carbon offsets Cleveland-Cliffs would use to balance emissions from the new blast furnace and power plant?

• Tree-planting credits purchased on the open market — No — these aren't purchased market credits. The offsets come from within the facility itself: the 2021 decommissioning of a coke battery at the Middletown plant is the source Ohio EPA cited.
• The 2021 decommissioning of a coke battery at the plant — Correct. Ohio EPA Assistant Chief Russell Flagg explained that retiring the coke battery in 2021 created the emission credits the company would apply against new pollution from the blast furnace and power plant.
• A separate Cleveland-Cliffs facility in another state — Not quite. The offsets are tied to operational changes at the Middletown plant itself — specifically the coke battery that was taken offline in 2021.
• Ohio EPA-issued renewable energy certificates — That's not what the permit describes. The offset mechanism relies on the 2021 coke battery decommissioning at the Middletown facility, not state-issued renewable certificates.

What cleaner technology did Cleveland-Cliffs explore in 2024 that residents like Donna Ballinger want the company to pursue instead?

• Solar panels on the plant roof to offset electrical use — Not what was explored. The 2024 plan involved a fundamental change to how steel is made — not surface-level energy offsets.
• Direct Reduced Iron infrastructure and electric melting furnaces — Correct. In 2024, Cleveland-Cliffs examined converting from traditional blast furnaces to Direct Reduced Iron infrastructure and electric melting furnaces — a path Ballinger and others have urged the company to revive.
• Natural gas-only furnaces replacing the coal-based blast furnace — Close in spirit, but not what the source article describes. The 2024 plan centered on Direct Reduced Iron technology and electric melting furnaces — a more fundamental shift away from blast furnace operations.
• A partnership with a Canadian steel company using hydrogen fuel — Hydrogen wasn't mentioned. The alternative plan on record is a conversion to Direct Reduced Iron infrastructure and electric melting furnaces, which Cleveland-Cliffs studied in 2024.

Why did environmental activist Marilyn Wall say the company's emission netting numbers didn't really matter?

• She said the methodology was flawed and the real numbers were much higher — Wall didn't dispute the math on those grounds. Her point was more fundamental: even if the netting math is accurate, new pollution is still being added to the community — regardless of what the offset credits say.
• Because even if the netting is correct, the community still receives additional pollution — Exactly. Wall's argument was that net-zero on paper doesn't mean zero for the neighbors — the community still receives new emissions from the blast furnace and power plant going online, whatever the offset ledger says.
• She said the Ohio EPA lacks authority to enforce emission limits — That wasn't her argument. Wall's concern was simpler: net emission accounting hides the fact that real new pollution still lands in the community, regardless of offset credits.
• She said Cleveland-Cliffs had violated its previous permit terms — The article doesn't document that claim. Wall's stated argument was that even accurate netting still means the community absorbs additional pollution — the numbers being correct doesn't change that reality for residents.

How can the public submit formal comments to the Ohio EPA on the Cleveland-Cliffs permit application?

• By email only — the deadline has already passed — The deadline hasn't passed — it's July 18. And written comments can be submitted in multiple ways, not just email.
• By mail to DAPC/Southwest Ohio Air Quality Authority, at the public hearing, or online — by July 18 — Correct. The Ohio EPA confirmed three pathways: submitting at the public hearing, mailing written comments to DAPC at the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Authority, or submitting online — all by July 18.
• Only at an in-person hearing — no written submissions accepted — In-person submission at the hearing is one option, but written comments by mail and online submissions are also accepted — all by the July 18 deadline.
• Through Middletown City Council chambers only — The city council chambers hosted the public hearing, but it's not the only comment channel. Mail and online submissions to the Ohio EPA and DAPC are also accepted through July 18.

The fight in Middletown reflects a tension playing out across Rust Belt communities: aging industrial facilities that are simultaneously economic anchors and environmental burdens. For union workers, the plant represents stable, well-paying jobs that support families across the region. For neighbors like Ballinger — who has been raising these concerns since the AK Steel era — the permit is not a fresh debate but another chapter in nearly a decade of documented struggle.

The Ohio EPA's decision will hinge in part on how it weighs the economic testimony from Laborers Local 534 against the health testimony from residents and environmental advocates. That balance is something the public comment process is designed to inform — which is why the July 18 deadline is more than a bureaucratic date. It is the last formal moment for the community to be heard before the agency rules.

I'm standing. I'm fighting. I've been doing it for nine and a half years. I'm not giving up.Donna Ballinger

Make Your Voice Heard Before July 18

• Find the Draft Permit Online: Search for permit number P0139876 in the Ohio EPA full text search to review the application documents.
• Submit Written Comments by Mail: Send written comments to: DAPC, Southwest Ohio Air Quality Authority, 1701 Patricia McCollum Way. Must be received by July 18.
• Inspect Physical Copies: Physical copies of the draft permit may be inspected at the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Authority.

Sources & References

• Primary source: local-news — Sean DeLancey
• Ohio Environmental Protection Agency — Draft permit P0139876 for Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown facility — available via Ohio EPA full text permit search
• Southwest Ohio Air Quality Authority — Public comment submission address and permit inspection location for Cleveland-Cliffs application