Spill from U.S. Steel prompts swimming bans, closure of water treatment plant in Northwest Indiana

The release of a substance into a Northwest Indiana waterway has prompted swimming bans and the closing of a water treatment plant.
The release of a substance into a Northwest Indiana waterway has prompted swimming bans and the closing of a water treatment plant. Photo credit Ogden Dunes/Facebook via Danny Lunn

PORTAGE, Ind. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The release of a substance into a Northwest Indiana waterway has prompted swimming bans and the closing of a water treatment plant.

The mayor of Portage said the orange substance was released by U.S. Steel into the Burns Waterway, which connects with Lake Michigan. It’s unclear what the substance is, but samples have been collected to figure it out.

Meanwhile, the spill has prompted Indiana American Water to shut down its Ogden Dunes treatment plant as a precaution and the Indiana Dunes National Park to shutdown the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk and all of its beaches until further notice out of an abundance of caution.

According to a news release, "Indiana American Water performs continuous real-time monitoring at our Ogden Dunes treatment facility, and although we have seen no impact on the raw water parameters we are monitoring for at this location, the treatment plant will remain offline until such time as additional data and water testing results confirm there is no threat to the company’s source water at this location."

Featured Image Photo Credit: Ogden Dunes/Facebook via Danny Lunn