A steel company has agreed to pay $3 million and improve the wastewater system at an Indiana mill, more than two years after a discharge of ammonia and toxic chemicals killed fish and closed beaches, the federal government said Monday.
The mill, owned at the time by ArcelorMittal USA, exceeded discharge limits and failed to properly report releases at Burns Harbor, the U.S. Justice Department said.
The agreement was made with the mill's current owner, Cleveland-Cliffs.
The settlement "appropriately penalizes the company for its significant violations and requires extensive actions by the company to prevent future pollution,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim.
Thousands of fish were killed in the East Branch of the Little Calumet River after the discharge of untreated water. Lake Michigan beaches were closed along the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.