ArcelorMittal SA, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, the world’s largest steelmaker, is facing the threat of litigation for a cyanide and ammonia leak that killed thousands of fish and led to closure at a national park beach this summer (GM Aug. 23, p. 27), citing a notice from Chicago-based advocacy group Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) that it intends to sue in 60 days. The group alleges that the company’s Burns Harbor, Ind., factory violated the Clean Water Act when a power outage in August led to hundreds of pounds of cyanide and ammonia being discharged into a river that feeds into Lake Michigan.
The crux of the suit will be an allegation that ArcelorMittal’s U.S.-based subsidiary has violated federal law roughly 80 times since 2015 by failing to prevent discharges of chemicals or heated water from the Burns Harbor plant above permitted levels. The concern is that the company isn’t doing enough to stop this and isn’t quickly reporting some discharges, such as the recent ammonia discharge, said EPLC. While the company is focusing on its cyanide testing, ArcelorMittal appears to have failed to promptly notify regulators of the alleged ammonia violation, the group said. In February, the company experienced another power issue that lead to the ammonia being dumped on the ground at the facility.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is still investigating the case in partnership with the U.S. EPA.
ArcelorMittal has faced other recent environmental issues in the Midwest, this May reaching a $5 million settlement to resolve claims stemming from alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at plants in Indiana and Ohio.