Indiana Dunes Beaches Closed After U.S. Steel Spills Substance

INDIANA DUNES — All beaches along Lake Michigan in the Indiana Dunes National Park were closed Sunday until further notice after a cloud of rust-colored liquid was spotted in the lake, spokespeople said.

Officials from the National Park Service first noted the discharge at around 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The source appeared to be the Burns Waterway Harbor near a group of U.S. Steel factories along the lake, according to NPS, which manages the dunes.

According to a statement from U.S. Steel, the plant in Portage shut down after "experiencing an upset condition" in its wastewater treatment section Sunday. Indiana Department of Environmental Management and U.S. EPA officials are sampling the water surrounding the port. U.S. Steel is also conducting its own investigation, authorities told Patch.

A wastewater treatment facility in Ogden Dunes also shut down as a precaution, the Indiana American Water company said in a social media statement. Another plant is still open to service customers in Northwest Indiana.

The steel plant has a permit to discharge some of its wastewater into the Burns Waterway but beaches will remain closed until officials can determine what substance was released into the lake, a parks spokeswoman said.

"All we know now is that a rust-colored substance was spotted in the water," the Indiana Dunes Tourist Information Center said in a statement.

Inland trails are still open to hikers. Questions on local drinking water quality can be referred to individual water providers and questions on Indiana Dunes National Park parking and facilities can be directed to 219-395-1882.

Earlier this month, U.S. Steel and Indiana state officials signed an agreement holding U.S. Steel responsible for about $1.2 trillion in Clean Water Act penalties. The National Parks Service is one of the agencies who received reimbursement from the company for accusations of contaminating water with metal pollutants.