PORTAGE, Ind. (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency says two counties in northwestern Indiana have seen the highest number of toxic releases in more than a decade, despite a national decline.
The Post-Tribune reports a national analysis released Tuesday found Lake County had 378 toxic releases in 2017, while Porter county had 134. Those are the largest amounts of on-site releases of toxins the counties have seen since 2003.
Information was collected on chemicals released into the air, water or soil from about 21,500 facilities, including 49 in Lake County and 28 in Porter County.
The facilities with the highest number of releases in the two counties were BP Products in Whiting, Tradebe Treatment and Recycling in East Chicago, Arcelor Mittal in East Chicago, Arcelor Mittal in Burns Harbor and U.S. Steel Gary Works.