During most of its history, the metallurgical industry has been seen as a source of pollution for the environment. However, during the second half of the 20th century, as the world environmental legislation became more protective and the global environmental conscience consolidated, this landscape began to change. Metallurgical activities have become increasingly related to the social and environmental impacts caused by human activities._x000D_
With the adoption of environmental management in steel plants, there has been a significant change in steel-related activities which have begun to introduce modern plants, managed with environmental, social and productive efficiency._x000D_
More and more, steel companies search for a decrease in negative impacts of their industrial operations on the environment, fitting them to the current environmental legislation and even increasing productivity and profitability._x000D_
The steel industry has started to become a clean and more efficient industry._x000D_
This work presents a case study of a sustainable steel plant project, located in an environmental preservation area. The project includes treatment and reuse of industrial liquid effluents, air emissions control, noise control, recycling, recovery and adequate waste management. It also incorporates production processes using clean technologies, capable of coproducing energy resources which may be used in the plant showing how is it possible to produce steel with environmental and social responsibility and even increase the enterprise's profitability._x000D_
FORMAL CITATION:Drumond, M V and Chaves, C A, 2009. Sustainable steel plant on an environmental protection area, in Proceedings SDIMI 2009 - Sustainable Development Indicators in the Minerals Industry, pp 123-134 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).