'Cloud has been lifted.' Reflecting on Republic Steel closure in Canton one year later

CANTON ? For decades, the hulking Republic Steel mill provided hundreds of industrial jobs for the community — and produced, it seemed, just as many health and safety complaints.

Then, last year, the unexpected happened. Grupo Simec, the Mexico-based owner of Republic Steel, announced it was shuttering its operations in Stark County, including its leaded steel mill on Eighth Street NE in Canton, and Lackawanna, New York. The news caught city and county officials and union leaders off guard, and sent workers scrambling to find new jobs.

The company cited "competitive market pricing and decreased demand," along with increased costs, as the reason.

A year later, the Canton Repository talked with neighbors about what it's like living in the area today, former employees about how their lives were upended and city officials about what's next for the vacant industrial property.

Neither Republic Steel nor Grupo Simec could be reached for comment.

Canton commemorates Henry Mack's advocacy

C. Mack, 65, and his father Henry C. Mack, 86, spent decades advocating for Republic Steel to either become compliant with the 1970 Clean Air Act or shut down.

Henry Mack started the fight in 1977. The city of Canton has renamed Cornelia Avenue NE to Henry Mack Way as a way to honor his advocacy and overall work in the community.

"The person who's done the heavy lifting for decades has been my dad, who first urged the city to test the air in 1977," C. Mack said. "There was very little response for years until the city finally agreed in 2017 and, surprise surprise, the air was unsafe."

Mack said his concern about potentially carcinogenic pollutants in the air was founded by the deaths of his mother and younger brother to breast and pancreatic cancer, respectively, both passing in their mid-40s. Mack cited other neighbors who had died of cancer, but said city and state health departments could not come to a conclusion that Republic Steel's pollution was the cause.

Mack said neighbors often fled to other cities because they were scared about the safety of the air in the area.

"The community always had three objectives: first was to get Republic to comply with EPA regulations, the second was to get them to shut down if they didn't, and the third was then to conduct a test on the long-term health effects of being exposed to these dangerous chemicals for decades," Mack said. "There have been many efforts in favor of the third, but it hasn't happened."

Mack credits the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the federal EPA and Canton City Public Health for their involvement helping keep Republic Steel in line and northeast Canton safe.

"It was through those partnerships that we were able to get this addressed and I commend them for going to bat for a classically underserved community unwilling to stand up to Republic on its own," Mack said. "Since the closure, myself and neighbors have all observed that the air quality has improved and dramatically so."

Air pollution monitors have reported lead levels near zero, following a steady decline since July. Terri Dzienis, who serves as director of the city's Air Pollution Control division, said there are also plans to install new monitors on Fourth Street NE and Whitetail Trail NE. All major monitors were up and running as of July 23, Dzienis said.

"We've seen a great improvement of the air quality and a dramatic decrease of lead since Republic shut down," Dzienis said. "We've also seen less sulfur oxide and a low amount of particulates because of the shutdown."

Neighbors are happy Republic Steel plant is gone

Ted Johnson, 70, who lives on Freedom Avenue in Georgetown Estates, agreed that the air quality has improved and said property values are rising. Neighbors also are pleased with a city program helping residents clean their homes from the smog once produced by the mill.

"There's a lot of good things going on," Johnson said. "We had a cloud over the neighborhood and that cloud has been lifted."

He worked for Timken for 45 and a half years. He retired six years ago and said he maintains good health. However, Johnson always wondered why his father's health was so much worse than his own. Johnson's father worked at Republic Steel for 40 years. He died of cancer at age 68.

"I still to this day think it was because of the air he was breathing in at Republic Steel," Johnson said. "A lot of people in the neighborhood were thinking that, too, because of Republic Steel, they were getting and dying of cancer. That spirit has been lifted."

The city health department determined in 2017 that concerns over high cancer rates in the neighborhood were unfounded.

Republic Steel's Canton plant was 'falling apart'

Republic Steel's closure announcement brought 65-year-old Jackie Pickering's working life to an abrupt end. However, unfazed by the news, she contently moved into retirement in the Austintown area.

Pickering said she remains healthy.

"It was a bad place that was falling apart due to no upkeep. It was so bad there, so I wasn't surprised when it closed," she said. "I probably would've stayed there if they hadn't closed, but I'm glad to not have to look for another job. I just wish it stayed open for the younger folks."

Ryan Meese, 32, of Massillon, worked to load the mill's furnaces for six years when the plant closed. He said he found a new job the next week. He had no difficulties with Republic as he was not out of work long enough to tussle over unemployment.

Pickering said many of her friends and coworkers found positions at Timken.

What's next for Republic Steel's Canton plant?

While the city of Canton managed to clean around 500 homes affected by smog from the mill, the plant itself remains a safety concern. The lot is owned by Republic Steel and Grupo Simec, limiting options available to the city government.

Canton Director of Economic Development Chris Hardesty said Republic Steel has not been in regular contact with the city about an ownership transfer, which he attributed to bad blood because of environmental issues and lawsuits.

Hardesty said he recently met with a third-party developer who has been doing independent work on the mill property, including surface cleaning and removal of trees around the immediate area. Hardesty said he expects more progress on striking an ownership transfer deal in the coming weeks.

"The mere idea that the lot's going to be cleaned and remediated and made safe for the community is honestly a win," Hardesty said. "I hope to see that property be put back to use for the community and region as a job creation investment."

Hardesty said that while he does not have a report of any specific contaminants on the site, he expects a lingering presence of lead until cleaning is complete because of the mill's role producing leaded steel.

What do neighbors want to see happen to the Republic Steel property?

Mack said he spent some time in Chicago's South Side where he worked on a revitalization project in Englewood. Part of that plan included a brownfield cleanup, where contaminated areas are cleaned or sealed off. Mack said getting a brownfield cleanup authorized by the city on the Republic lot is the most sensible next step.

"A brownfield cleanup is so crucial here in Canton because this area is what's considered a classic food and services desert," Mack said. "An economic redevelopment program would be tremendous progress towards fulfilling our hope as a community for not just clean air, but a follow-up push to turn the Republic lot into services the community needs."

Like Mack, Johnson said he would like to see the Republic Steel property transformed into an economic redevelopment zone with retail and other improvements. Johnson said he would like to see a coffee shop. However, he added that the teardown of the mill has to be done right so that lingering chemicals do not reenter the area.

"We've all felt this area of Canton was ignored for so long, so it's nice to see it getting some attention now," he said. "This is the hidden gem of Canton, and with a little work it'll shine more than it has."

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton residents and workers talk Republic Steel a year after closure