[flar]

A friend of mine who does work at both Stelco and Dofasco says that US Steel is planning some upgrades that suggest they're in it for the long term. I think steel will be made in Hamilton for a long time.


As much as people think the steel mills are an eyesore and big polluter, I really believe the best case scenario for Hamilton is that Stelco stays open. Not only for the jobs, but because if the Stelco closed it would end up sitting there rotting away for decades. The cleanup costs would be astronomical and the current level of investment in Hamilton by both public and private sectors suggests there is no one who would be willing to foot the bill. If there is going to be a gigantic hellfire on the harbour, it might as well be producing something and providing jobs.

As for pollution, they pollute (obviously), but the extent of their pollution in the local environment is overstated. Most of the air pollution from Stelco heads east on the prevailing winds to fall elsewhere. The pollution experienced in Hamilton is mostly from local auto traffic and the hundreds of coal fired generating stations in the midwestern US. Sometimes there is a heat inversion and lower Hamilton stews in Stelco's exhaust. If it feels like the air is cleaner this year it's because summer's heat and humidity has not really arrived.