CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – The steel company Cleveland Cliffs has agreed to pay a fine of $3 million and will make improvements to its waste water system following a toxic discharge two years ago along the lakefront in Portage.
The release of ammonia and cyanide killed thousands of fish in the Little Calumet River and closed Lake Michigan beaches near the Burns Harbor plant.
The U.S. attorney general’s office in a statement said the settlement "appropriately penalizes the company for its significant violations and requires extensive actions to prevent future pollution.”
The steel mill was owned by ArcelorMittal at the time of the discharge.
The government said the company failed to make proper notifications.
Cleveland Cliffs released a statement that said it “recognizes that all aspects of steelmaking must be accomplished in a responsible manner that minimizes impacts on the environment.”
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