U.S. Steel to Clean Up Lake Michigan Benzene Leak Area

Posted on April 4, 2009 by David Austin

It's not clear exactly how long benzene contaminated groundwater has been seeping into Lake Michigan from U.S Steel's Gary Works.  The benzene is said to leaking from old tanks at coke plant that was demolished years ago.  The highly polluted area had been surrounded by a break wall to contain groundwater contamination.  It is thought that a 2001 crack in that wall allowed the movement of contaminated groundwater into the lake.  The problem was discovered by U.S. Steel last Summer.

"we don't know exactly when the plume reached the lake."- EPA project manager       Tamara Ohl.

Benzene levels in the groundwater were up to 600 times the federal drinking water limit.

The point where the benzene enters the lake is a mile from the nearest drinking water intake.  The intake is owned by Indiana American Waters.  The company is required by federal law to test for benzene and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  So Far no benzene has been detected in the finished drinking water.

Exactly how much benzene was leaked into Lake Michigan is not yet known.

What Is Benzene?

Benzene is a clear sweet smelling organic solvent widely used by industry.  Ingesting benzene can cause vomiting, stomach irritation, disorientation, and death.  Exposure to benzene has been shown to cause a number of debilitating blood disorders such as aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

The Cleanup Plan

U.S Steel plans to install a $1.4 million treatment system which includes 11 wells that will remove benzene from ground water before pumping it back into the ground.  They do not plan to repair the break wall.

It is not yet known weather U.S Steel will face fines or penalties for the contamination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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U. S. Steel Decides to Treat Water Tainted by Benzene

Posted on January 8, 2009 by David Austin

Recent reports claim that U.S. Steel is planning on spending $1.4 million in an attempt to treat water tainted by benzene. The decision involves building 11 wells surrounding its Gary Works complex near Lake Michigan to contain benzene-tainted water. Researchers found that the water has been leaking into the lake for several months and potentially putting the surrounding community at risk. The water was found to be contaminated by the toxic chemical known as benzene after officials analyzed the soil and groundwater.

Although neither U.S. Steel or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials are sure about how much benzene was in the lake, the company has concluded that there are benzene levels of 1 to 3 parts per million.

The EPA Discovers Benzene

"It's not a level that's showing any immediate risk," explains the project manager of the EPA, Tamara Ohl. "But it's high enough. Clearly, we don't want a situation where benzene is going into the lake.” 

Officials say that the benzene came from an older tank farm at the coke plant, which was removed several years ago. The tainted water was reportedly caused by a large crack in a lake breakwall that surrounds the plant. However, even though health officials have found what is causing the exposure to the lake, repairing the wall would require a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit, would not fix the tainted groundwater problem, said U.S. Steel spokesman Charles Rice. 

U.S. Steel is expected to submit a treatment plan to state and federal environmental regulators by the end of this month. Plant officials said they hope to have the system operational by the summer or fall. 



 

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