Gary Exposure Map
Documented Exposure Sites
| # | Facility | Area | Industry | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US Steel Gary Works | Lakefront Gary | Integrated Steel | Critical |
| 2 | Gary Works Coke Plant | Gary | Coke Production | Critical |
| 3 | Midwest Steel (National Steel) | Portage / Gary border | Steel Manufacturing | High |
| 4 | Gary Screw & Bolt | Gary | Fastener Manufacturing | Moderate |
| 5 | Northern Indiana Public Service (NIPSCO) | Gary | Power Generation | Moderate |
US Steel Gary Works: A Century of Steel and Asbestos
Founded in 1906 and named after US Steel chairman Elbert Gary, the Gary Works was built from scratch on the Lake Michigan shoreline to become the largest integrated steel mill in the world. At its peak, the mill and its surrounding coke ovens, blast furnaces, and rolling mills employed roughly 30,000 workers, with asbestos insulation lining virtually every high-temperature process throughout the plant.
Pipefitters, boilermakers, and maintenance millwrights working in the blast furnace and open-hearth departments faced the highest exposure, but the sheer scale of the facility meant asbestos dust settled throughout the complex, exposing laborers, electricians, and even office staff working in mill buildings insulated with asbestos-containing materials.
Gary Works continues to operate today under US Steel. Former workers from the 1940s through the 1980s — the peak decades of asbestos use in heavy industry — represent the population most at risk for mesothelioma from Gary exposure.
Yes — extensively. US Steel Gary Works used asbestos insulation throughout its blast furnaces, coke ovens, open hearths, and power houses for most of the 20th century. Indiana’s 2-year statute of limitations (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4) runs from the date of mesothelioma diagnosis.