Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works steel mill plans to use money designated for decarbonization to reline a blast furnace, ensuring decades of additional pollution from coal and coke making, harming the community’s health, workers, reducing jobs and even hurting the company’s bottom line and becoming less competitive with other steel mills in the US and globally.
On August 21, 2026, Cleveland-Cliffs and Vice President JD Vance “announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has established a framework for Cliffs to finalize negotiations and implementation plans for its Middletown Works investment, rescoping the previously awarded $500 million DOE grant.”
In 2024, the Biden administration selected Cleveland-Cliffs for a $575 million award to build a DRI (direct-reduced iron) facility and two 120MW Electric Melting Furnaces (EMF), using hydrogen, that would substantially reduce greenhouse gases and eliminate the use of coal at the facility. Not only would Cliffs decarbonize but they would not only reduce their costs but also increase good paying union jobs.
Unfortunately for Middletown, Cleveland-Cliffs has backed off the commitment and plans to drop the DRI EMF project, and instead reline the highly polluting blast furnace and build a small cogeneration facility, using the funds awarded from the Biden administration and plans to use their own funds some other projects as well.
This is extremely disappointing given large carbon dioxide emissions from Cleveland-Cliffs (over 3.5 million tons per year as of 2023).
The decision also sets the stage for continuation of chronic, dangerous emissions affecting the lives and property of nearby residents.
“Almost every day my home and property, as well as my neighbors, are bombarded by fallout, noise, and toxic emissions. Cleveland-Cliffs and JD Vance need to get rid of coal and go back to the original project that would clean up the air we breathe and improve our health. Extending the life of the coal furnace will continue to harm me, my family and my neighbors,” said Donna Balinger, a Middletown resident who lives 800ft from the plant.
Sierra Club volunteers including Middletown resident Donna Ballinger, joined by other clean steel activists at Mighty Earth and Industrious Labs met with several media journalists as the announcement was made by JD Vance and Cleveland-Cliffs. Here are links to media coverage of the event:
- Hamilton Journal News
- 91.7 WVXU News
- Cleveland.com
- Cincinnati Business Courier (A subscription is required. Holders of Hamilton County library card can read the article through the library website.)
- The New York Times
- WYSO Public Radio (Yellow Springs)
- CleanTechnica
- Canary Media
