US Steel shuts down Indiana plant after wastewater discharge

PORTAGE, Ind. (AP) — U.S. Steel says it has temporarily shuttered operations at a northwest Indiana plant after it leaked an orange substance into a Lake Michigan tributary, prompting the closure of a water treatment plant and nearby beaches. U.S. Steel Midwest spokeswoman Amanda Malkowsk said in a statement Monday that operations have been idled in Portage as a precaution “after experiencing an upset condition with the finishing line wastewater treatment plant.” She says initial indications “show higher than normal suspended solids in the water.” She did not describe the contents of the leaked substance. Indiana Dunes National Park has closed all its beaches and Indiana American Water shut down an intake facility.