U.S. Steel to Begin Ridding Water of Benzene
According to recent reports U.S. Steel Gary Works is in the works to start what will be an ongoing treatment project to rid water of the toxic chemical, benzene. The project is focused on the benzene-laden groundwater leaking into Lake Michigan. Researchers believe that the best way to prevent contaminants from entering the lake is to begin treating the water from north of the U.S. Steel coke plant. The project is expected to begin by the end of this month.
Action Taken to Rid Water of Benzene
It was this past August when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the plan proposed by U.S. Steel in an attempt to treat the groundwater in a local well system. The plan reportedly involves testing the system during and after startup to ensure that all is working as it should.
EPA officials say the general public is welcome to receive a more detailed outline of the plan, along with updates, this coming Thursday. This is when U.S. Steel will be holding their quarterly Community Involvement Team Effort meeting.
Meeting Involves Community
During this meeting, U.S. Steel will supposedly be giving an update on where the waste will be placed once it’s removed from the groundwater. The waste is planned to be taken to an on-site landfill. The landfill, which is known as the corrective action management unit (CAMU), is a place where U.S. Steel has placed dredged, contaminated sediment from the Grand Calumet River.
Among the waste U.S. Steel hopes to place in the CAMU is the waste brought about by the groundwater remediation project, along with other hazardous waste from cleaning up a sludge-filled lagoon on site.
However, not all are in agreement with this plan as officials have seen in the past. Local environmentalists have openly expressed their concerns about adding more waste, mostly because this could mean it may take longer to close the landfill to limit air pollution in the future.
