For Immediate Release

Public Relations Division
Public Affairs Department
1170 Eighth Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18016-7699
(610) 694-3711 - Phone
(610) 694-1509 - Fax

BURNS HARBOR, Ind., October 30, 1996 -- To encourage the free exchange of ideas and information about environmental activities at Bethlehem Steel's Burns Harbor Division, the Division has invited representatives from key local communities and a number of special interest groups to form a Community Advisory Committee.

Forming a Community Advisory Committee, or CAC, is an outgrowth of Bethlehem Steel's participation in the Environmental Protection Agency's Common Sense Initiative. The Common Sense Initiative is a voluntary program that brings constituents together to examine "cleaner, cheaper and smarter" ways to provide environmental protection.

Invitations to join the Bethlehem Steel CAC have been extended jointly by Walter N. Bargeron, president of the Burns Harbor Division, Paul E. Gipson, president of United Steelworkers Local Union 6787, and Dennis D. Phillips, president of Local Union 9144. The first meeting of the CAC is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, November 1, in the Division's Main Office Building.

"Burns Harbor's vision is to be the world's best steel business," said Mr. Bargeron, in announcing formation of the group. "A key objective in realizing that vision is to be a good citizen and the resident business of choice for our community."

Mr. Bargeron explained that two of the ways in which the Burns Harbor Division plans to become the resident business of choice are by meeting or exceeding environmental regulations and community standards, and by engaging in open dialogue with the public.

"Also, as part of our corporate environmental policy," Mr. Bargeron continued, "we are committed to communicating information regarding our operations and environmental accomplishments to government and community officials, the general public and others.

"We believe that the CAC will be a powerful new tool that will help us achieve these objectives," he concluded.

For the past few months, a steering committee has met several times to plan the establishment of the CAC and to make specific recommendations on CAC membership. Participating on that task force were Charlotte Read of the Save the Dunes Council; Michele Nanni, Hoosier Environmental Council; Kay Nelson, director of the Northwest Indiana Regional Office of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management; Beth Henning Guria, Common Sense Initiative Liaison, Region 5, EPA, and representatives of the Burns Harbor Division, including its Steelworker local unions.

As presently envisioned, the CAC will consist of representatives from several surrounding communities; citizen environmental groups; local, state and federal governmental bodies; the Steelworkers Union; an educational institution, the general business community and Division management.