U.S. Steel to spend $1.4 M to treat benzene-tainted groundwater
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jan 13 2009 at 2:04 PM
Benzene >>

GARY, Ind. – U.S. Steel plans will spend $1.4 million to construct 11 wells at its Gary Works complex to capture and treat benzene-tainted groundwater before it reaches Lake Michigan.

For several months, water has been leaking into the lake. It was in last summer that the officials found contaminated water. They were examining soil and groundwater.

U.S. Steel and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials have no idea regarding the amount of benzene that has entered the lake already. According to the EPA project manager Tamara Ohl, a benzene level of 1 to 3 parts per million has been found in groundwater monitoring wells close to the affected water. The EPA’s threshold for the quantity of benzene permitted in drinking water is 5 parts per billion.

“It’s not a level that’s showing any immediate risk. But it is high enough,” Ohl said.

According to Ohl, benzene may possibly become diluted as it went into the lake. However, both U.S. Steel and EPA officials have not tested lake water to find out whether the chemical has become diluted.

“Obviously, we don’t want a situation where benzene is going into the lake,” Ohl said.

EPA officials think that the benzene came from an old tank farm at the coke plant, which was removed years ago. Officials also believe that the flow of tainted water was supported by a crack in a lake breakwall circling the plant.

U.S. Steel spokesman Charles Rice said that repairing the wall would require a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit.

“Repairing would not fix the tainted groundwater problem,” Rice said.

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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