PORTAGE, Ind. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Some Lake Michigan beaches were closed Thursday near the U.S. Steel plant in Portage for the second time in less than two weeks because of some kind of discharge.
U.S. Steel said there was a sheen on the waterway outside the plant that leads to Lake Michigan and said existing booms were able to contain it.
The company said no sheen was observed entering the lake. It’s unclear what was discharged.
About two weeks ago beaches were closed when there was another discharge that was found to contain elevated levels of iron that was not thought to be a threat to fish or people.
Portage Mayor Sue Lynch told the Northwest Indiana Times, “it is also unknown if it is the result of equipment failure or human error.”
She said “it’s frustrating,” and “U.S. Steel is going to have to do a better job of preventing these types of discharges.”
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is investigating.
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