Site Visit Report

ArcelorMittal—Indiana Harbor

3001 Dickey Road

East Chicago, IN 46312

3210 Watling Street

East Chicago, IN 46312

August 3, 2009

1.0 Background and Objectives

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of developing 

316(b) cooling water intake structure requirements that reflect the best technology

available (BTA) for minimizing adverse environmental impact for all existing 

power plants and manufacturing facilities. As part of this process, EPA staff is 

visiting electric generators and manufacturers to better understand the cooling 

water intake structure (CWIS) technologies in use at facilities, including the sitespecific characteristics of each facility and how these affect the selection and 

performance of CWIS technologies. EPA is also visiting facilities to better 

understand cooling water use and specific issues or technologies that can affect 

316(b) compliance. ArcelorMittal’s Indiana Harbor facility (Indiana Harbor) was 

selected for a site visit because it utilizes cooling water in manufacturing steel and 

other metal products.1

2.0 Facility Description

ArcelorMittal’s Indiana Harbor facility is located on a 3300 acre site on the shore 

of Lake Michigan in East Chicago, IN. The facility is actually comprised of two 

formerly separate steel mills; the West side2 was established in 1914 and the East 

side3began operations in 1907. Collectively, the facility employs approximately

6500 personnel. The facility has two NPDES permits, one for each former mill 

(NPDES permit numbers IN0000205 and IN0000094, respectively). The permits 

have expired (September 29, 1991 and May 31, 2001, respectively) and are in the 

process of being renewed.4

3.0 Manufacturing Information

Indiana Harbor produces over 10 millions tons of steel per year, making it one of 

the 5 largest steel mills in the world. It primarily produces high-end metal 

products (such as rolled steel) that are used in automobiles, appliances, and 

 

1 EPA provided a draft of this report to ArcelorMittal but did not receive any comments from the facility.

2 This is the former Indiana Harbor site, last owned by LTV Steel and acquired by ArcelorMittal.

3 This is the former Ispat Inland site and was acquired by ArcelorMittal. The site occupies approximately 

2100 acres; 400 acres on the historic “shoreline” and 1700 acres on the peninsula.

4

Facility representatives expect renewed permits to be issued in January 2010.
pipes.5

 The West side is comprised of two blast furnaces, a hot strip mill, and a 

finishing mill. The East side operates the largest blast furnace in the U.S., as well 

as a second smaller blast furnace.

The facility has seen production slow substantially and idled over 1000 workers in 

early 2009, but has recently seen production begin to increase.6 The facility’s 

location makes it more viable than other inland locations, as it has ready access to 

water, cheaper shipping, and is closer to the ore, much of which comes from 

Canadian mines.

The West side was closed for approximately 18 months in the early part of this 

decade, but was purchased by ISG and brought back online in 2002. ISG merged 

with Mittal Steel in 2005, which was then purchased by Arcelor in 2006. The 

East side began as Inland Steel, was sold to Ispat in 1998, and became part of 

Mittal.

4.0 Cooling Water System and Intake Structure

The location of the intake structures (and the configuration of the facility) has 

evolved over the years; the facility was originally located on the historic lakeshore 

but expanded outward into the lake.7 The West side’s CWISs withdraw from the 

Indiana Harbor Ship Canal, which bisects the two plants; the East side’s CWISs

are located directly on Lake Michigan. Most of the water withdrawn is used for 

once-through non-contact cooling; a large volume of process/contact water is also 

used onsite, but the facility has worked over the years to recirculate the majority

of its process water. Makeup water for the process water systems is also supplied 

by the CWISs; the fire suppression system also uses the intake structures.8

The West side has six cooling water systems (CWSs) and four CWISs. The main 

CWIS (CWIS #2) is located at the end of a secondary intake canal (approximately

5500 feet in length) that withdraws water from the mouth of the Indiana Harbor 

Ship Canal through a riprap weir and runs into the center of the West side

peninsula. CWIS #2 is connected to its primary water user (the power plant, 

which uses approximately 100 million gallons per day [mgd]) via a 14 foot 

diameter tunnel 250 feet underground. Two other CWISs are also located in this 

 

5 No construction-grade materials are produced at Indiana Harbor—foreign mills produce these materials at 

a lower cost and have overtaken this market. One small production area remains that is capable of 

producing these materials, but it has been idled for an extended period.

6 The facility has been operating at approximately 35-40% capacity (the West side was essentially idled at 

the time of the site visit, but the East side was operating at about 80%), but industries that it typically 

supplies have been operating at approximately 60% capacity, indicating that these industries were using onhand stocks of metal products in their products, but will likely be running out soon and require a new 

supply.

7

Fill material was used to create the peninsulas on which the facility is currently located.

8

Facility representatives noted that much of the remaining process water is critical to the plant operations 

(e.g., scaling water) and could not be reduced or eliminated without adversely affecting the production of 

steel.
canal (one low-head intake near the terminus of the canal, the other approximately

2000 feet from the canal entrance9), while the other one (CWIS #1) withdraws 

from the Ship Canal. In total, the West side’s design intake flow is 627 mgd. Its 

average actual intake flow (AIF) is approximately 370 mgd.

The West side uses a mixture of once-through and recirculating cooling systems. 

As stated above, most of the once-through cooling water is for the power plant; 

cooling water at the hot strip mill and hot mill is recycled through onsite lagoons. 

The blast furnaces also recycle much of the process water.

Facility representatives stated that they do not precisely measure the intake flow. 

CWIS #2 has 5 pumps, #1 has 4 (with only 1-2 usually operational), and #3 has 3 

72 mgd pumps (operating 2 when the hot strip mill is operating). Each of the 

pumphouses are linked to the same circulating water system and work 

cooperatively to maintain proper flow and pressure levels. CWIS #2 also 

provides water to the tin plant onsite, which is still owned by US Steel.

The West side’s main intake withdraws water through a bar rack and into the 

screenhouse with 5 bays. Each bay has one coarse mesh traveling screen, but two 

bays have been closed. CWISs #1 and #3 have a similar configuration, with #1 

having three coarse mesh screens and #3 having 11 bays but only 6 screens.10 All 

of the screen use a high pressure wash and discharge any debris or impinged 

organisms to the trash.

The East side also uses a mixture of once-through and recirculating cooling 

systems. An extensive tunnel system was constructed in the bedrock beneath the 

facility to facilitate recirculation of cooling water between process areas; facility

representatives stated that approximately 569 mgd of water is recycled within the 

system via 5 pumphouses at various locations.11 The East side has been expanded 

and modified over the years as needed and has two treatment plants.

The East side has two CWSs, which are each served by a single CWIS. The 

primary CWIS (CWIS #2) is located at the end of a 1000 foot long intake canal at 

the southeastern end of the facility. This CWIS provides the majority of the 

cooling water for the East side. The second CWIS (CWIS #1), located 

approximately halfway out the peninsula, provides cooling water to the northern 

 

9 This intake (CWIS #3) primarily feeds a recirculating CWS for the northwestern portion of the West side; 

a holding pond is used to dissipate heat before water is reused.

10 The remaining bays are closed; the facility built the CWIS to allow for additional withdrawal capacity, 

but never needed to expand.

11 A series of legal actions in the 1960s led the facility to construct the Master Recycle System. The 

estimated flow is based on materials used in developing the facility’s NPDES permit and reflects the 

additional flow volume that they expect would need to be withdrawn from Lake Michigan if the system 

were not in place.
half of the East side. The East side’s DIF is 569 mgd12 and its AIF is 

approximately 160 mgd.

The East side’s primary CWIS draws water through bar racks13 and over a “lift 

wall” 14 in the canal into a tunnel at the pumphouse. Within the pumphouse, 5 

intake bays (each with a 3/8” coarse mesh traveling screen) feed a common sump 

with 7 pumps with a design intake flow (DIF) of 360 mgd.15 Screens are rotated 

infrequently, as facility representatives noted that there is normally minimal 

debris (mostly plastic bags) or impingement (fish are only observed for a few 

days each year); all materials are disposed in a landfill.

The main user of cooling water from the East side’s CWIS #2 is the blast gas 

furnace power house, located near the intake canal.16 The vast majority of the 

water withdrawn (approximately 115 mgd) for the power house is once-through 

non-contact cooling water.

The East side’s second CWIS (CWIS #7) supplies a distribution area on the site 

for the former coal-fired generating unit.17 A concrete culvert in the shoreline 

opens to Lake Michigan at the end of a small inlet bay; water then passes into the 

adjacent screenhouse. The CWIS has a trash rack and seven coarse mesh 

traveling screens.18 There are three circulating pumps (approximately 58 mgd 

each) and four service water pumps (approximately 43 mgd each) for a total DIF 

of 345 mgd. However, due to process changes and reductions in water usage, the 

facility only operates one service water pump at approximately half capacity (an 

actual intake flow (AIF) of approximately 20 mgd). Facility representatives 

estimated that half of the water withdrawn was used for once-through equipment 

cooling, with the remainder being used as makeup water for various systems. The 

screens are rotated infrequently (debris loading is small) and materials are 

returned to Lake Michigan via a debris return. Facility representatives stated that 

the intake velocity is approximately 0.3 fps.

The East side’s fire suppression system withdraws from both the CWISs and the 

recirculation tunnels.

 

12 Facility representatives noted that the circulating flow within the tunnel system was the original design 

flow for the East side.

13 The bar racks are removed in the winter to prevent the formation of ice blockages at the CWIS.

14 The lift wall ensures that water levels within the plant stay relatively constant.

15 Five are circulating pumps and two are service water pumps. Pumps are steam driven (not electric) and 

have significant flexibility to vary the pumping rate. The facility is currently removing two other inactive 

pumps.

16 Originally, the pumphouse was at the lakefront (circa 1919); the plant has since expanded. The power 

plant’s cooling system is over 65 years old and was originally designed as a once-through system. The 

power plant also supplies steam to two other operations in the northern section of the East side.

17 The 400 MW generating unit operated from 1965 to 2000 and closed as part of a consent agreement.

18 At the time of the site visit, only 4 of the screens were operable.
Indiana Harbor withdraws water even when the facility is not producing steel; the 

volume is much lower, but moving water keeps pipes clear of fouling organisms. 

Chlorination is also used at each CWIS to control fouling; zebra mussels and 

quagga mussels are problematic in the Great Lakes.19 Overall, facility

representatives stated that they do not experience significant clogging from 

fouling organisms.

5.0 Flow Diagram

Following the site visit, the facility provided a water balance diagram for the East 

side. (See Attachment C.) The diagram shows the major recirculation systems. 

Attachment D shows the general flow diagram for the West side.

6.0 Electricity Generation and Transmission

Facility representatives stated that approximately 30-40% of the plant’s power 

needs are generated onsite. Indiana Harbor Coke20 provides the majority of the 

generation via the coke plant in the northern section of the East side. The West 

side also has a generating unit that was built in the 1930s. Facility representatives 

stated that it is difficult to estimate the electricity generated by these units, as they

are used for multiple purposes—power generation, steam generation, and to drive 

turboblowers that provide wind within the blast furnaces.

As noted in Section 4.0 above, the East side previously operated a 400MW coalfired generating unit, but that unit has been taken out of service. The coal yard is 

still active, however, as it stores fuel for the blast furnaces.

7.0 Impingement and Entrainment Information

Facility representatives noted that scientists from Purdue University conducted a 

biological survey in the 1980s.

8.0 Cooling Tower Feasibility

The West side recycles some of its cooling water via cooling lagoons21 and also 

has a 4 mechanical draft cooling towers onsite. Its largest water user of oncethrough water (the power plant) is located in a congested area, making a cooling 

tower retrofit difficult; the towers would likely be located over a half mile away.

 

19 Facility representatives noted that quagga mussels are beginning to displace zebra mussels, as quagga 

have a greater thermal tolerance.

20 Indiana Coke is a separate company (owned by Sun Oil) that takes waste products from the steelmaking 

process to generate power.

21 Facility representatives noted that the lagoons do not dissipate large volumes of heat, especially in the 

summer; their primary function is for settling (primary treatment) and to store water for future reuse.
The East side employs 35 cooling towers of various sizes across the facility; the 

facility began adding them in the 1960s and facility representatives noted that 

virtually every process line has a cooling tower.22 The towers are operated by

existing staff at each unit or by centralized utilities staff and normally operate 

year-round, except for a 6-8 week period in winter. Facility representatives stated 

that there was no significant problem with drift or plume from the towers.

Most of the towers at Indiana Harbor have been built since the 1970s, in response 

to the Clean Water Act and other regulatory initiatives. Facility representatives 

estimated the cycles of concentration for all towers range from 1.5 to 3, 

depending on whether the tower is used for process or non-contact cooling and 

whether the tower serves a blast furnace. Facility representatives stated that 11 of 

the towers (between both sites) are used for exclusively process water cooling and 

5 towers are used for exclusively non-contact cooling.

As noted in Section 4.0 above, the East side’s power plant uses a large volume of 

once-through cooling water. Facility representatives noted that the existing 

underground recirculation tunnels do not have sufficient circulating capacity to 

add the power plant flows. They also stated that adding cooling towers would be 

feasible,23 but given the age of the system, would not be a financially sound 

decision. The power house is also likely to be very expensive to demolish. 

Facility representatives also stated that they do not expect that a cooling system 

retrofit could be accomplished during a normal scheduled outage.24

Facility representatives stated that the blast furnaces generally do not have 

regularly scheduled maintenance outages. The furnaces are taken offline 

approximately 10 days per year (one day at a time) for maintenance.25 The steel 

shops are batch processors, however, and may have opportunities for longer 

downtime periods. Facility representatives noted that many of the steel shops 

(including the smaller specialty shops) can operate independently of the 

remainder of the facility and can share materials with other sites to remain 

operational.

Facility representatives noted that a pair of 2-cell cooling towers do cause some 

problems with plume and visibility under certain conditions; roads may be closed 

 

22 The 10-cell tower on the shore of the ship canal was the largest cooling tower in the world at the time of 

its construction in the 1960s.

23 Potential sites for the towers could be as much as a half mile away, due to limited space nearby, existing 

underground utilities, and other potential conflicts.

24 The facility does use modular (temporary) cooling towers when existing tower units are being repaired or 

replaced.

25 The blast furnaces are the critical component of the facility; their output drives all other processes onsite. 

Facility representatives estimated that downtime at a blast furnace producing 12,000 tons per day may cost 

the facility as much as $600 per ton (of finished product). Steel shops would suffer similar losses due to 

downtime; facility representatives stated that steel shops must operate at 70-80% capacity in order to be 

profitable.
due to the fogging due to the safety hazard posed by rail traffic during slab 

operations.

9.0 Future Activities

Facility representatives did not indicate any plans to expand the facility or its 

intake flows in the foreseeable future. As noted above, the facility is hopeful that 

its production will increase soon.

10.0 Cooling Ponds

As noted in Section 4.0 above, the West side does use some cooling lagoons as 

part of a recirculating system.

11.0 316(a)

EPA did not collect any information on thermal discharges.

12.0 Ash Handling

EPA did not collect any information on ash handling procedures.

13.0 Air Emissions Controls

Facility representatives stated that a $43 million scrubber was recently installed at 

the #4 blast furnace. EPA did not collect any further information on air emissions 

controls.

14.0 Issues with Debris

Facility representatives did not note any significant issues with debris 

management. Some intake structures are equipped with air bubblers to prevent 

ice formation in the winter.

15.0 Additional Information

Facility representatives stated that the age of the site and the incremental 

expansion over time has created significant process inefficiencies; a newly 

constructed steel mill would be configured very differently. The West side is 

more logically laid out and also has process units that are smaller and require less 

cooling water.

The adjacent British Petroleum refinery recently implemented a major expansion 

in refining capacity to accommodate processing of Canadian crude oil. As such, 

there is no nearby land available for purchase.
Almost all raw materials are delivered by ship to the ship canal. Coal is delivered 

by rail.

Attachments

Attachment A List of Attendees

Attachment B Aerial Photos

Attachment C Water Balance Diagram for East Side

Attachment D Water Flow Diagram for West Side

Attachment E Site Visit Photos
Attachment A--List of Attendees

Paul Shriner, EPA

Jan Matuszko, EPA

Sean Ramach, EPA Region V

John Sunda, SAIC

Kelly Meadows, Tetra Tech

Tom Barnett, ArcelorMittal

Simonne Benoit, ArcelorMittal

Kevin Doyle, ArcelorMittal

Tom Malinkowski, ArcelorMittal

Richard Dean, ArcelorMittal

Mike Rossner, ArcelorMittal
Attachment B—Aerial Photos

Please see DCN 10-6551A accompanying this document.

Attachment C—Water Balance Diagram for East Side

Please see DCN 10-6551B accompanying this document.

Attachment D—Water Flow Diagram for West Side

Please see DCN 10-6551C accompanying this document.

Attachment E—Site Visit Photos

Please see DCNs 10-6551D through K accompanying this document.