You are here

Chemical Spill Closes Beaches At Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Share

West Beach (pictured) was one of three beaches at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore closed due to a nearby chemical spill/NPS file photo

Three beaches at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore have been closed due to a toxic chemical spill, park officials said Wednesday.

The spill, of hexavalent chromium, was from the U.S. Steel plant at Portage, Indiana. An undetermined amount of the chemical, a byproduct of plant processes, spilled into the Burns Waterway on Tuesday. The waterway is 100 yards upstream of Lake Michigan, and the concern at the park is that any chemical that reaches the lake could be pushed ashore by wave action. 

Environmental Protection Agency crews were working with U.S. Steel teams to contain the spill.

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the chemical "is known to cause cancer. In addition, it targets the respiratory system, kidneys, liver, skin and eyes."

National lakeshore beaches closed on Wednesday were Cowles Bog Beach, West Beach, and the Portage Lakefront beach, Park Service staff said. While the beach area at Cowles Bog has been closed, the trails in that area remain open to the public, they added.

Closure of the Cowles Bog Beach was made based on a recommendation that all beaches within three miles of the discharge be closed as a precaution to protect the health of park visitors.

The affected national lakeshore beaches and water were to be independently tested and monitored to determine when they are safe to reopen.

Comments

There they go again!  That bunch of Unelected Bureaucrats trying to mess with Free Enterprise and America's economic wealth.  Sheesh, billions of gallons of water out there in that big Great Lake.  Just wait awhile and all that hexavalent stuff will be so diluted you won't even know it was ever there unless your skin turns green and starts to glow in the dark.  But as long as it's not any of MY kids glowing, what difference does it make? 

Is this another reason to get rid of the EPA as our current leaders have promised to do?

(( Or could this be an illustration of how wrong-headed they are? ))


very sad that this chemical spill happened we need more regulations on these factories to prevent spills... it not only affects humans but the creatures who live in and around the water....


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.