Dock wall collapses at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor from ship load
By Christin Nance Lazerus cnance@post-trib.com September 25, 2012 1:21PM
A cargo boat lists Tuesday morning at ArcelorMittal's dock in Burn Harbor. The dock cracked, leaving gaping holes, while the ship was unloading earlier Tuesday morning. | Provided Photo~Sun-Times Media ptmet
Updated: October 27, 2012 6:13AM
The weight of cargo being unloaded from a ship at the ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor plant crushed a dock wall, causing large cracks to form, early Tuesday morning.
The U.S. Coast Guard station in Michigan City received a call around 5:30 a.m. about the incident, which involved a barge that is referred to as a “laker.” The barge is more than 700 feet in length, and it was carrying tons of iron ore pellets. The four cracks on the dock appear to be more than 50 feet long. The ship was leaning against the dock as of Tuesday afternoon. The U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Unit in Chicago and the company are handling the investigation.
There were no injuries nor any damage to the ship, according to an ArcelorMittal spokesperson. The company said the material being unloaded was confined to the dock and didn’t enter the waterway.
“ ... There is no impact on production or our ability to serve our customers. Additionally, the waterway is navigable, with no impact on Port of Indiana operations,” the company said in a statement.
Ports of Indiana spokesman Jody Peacock confirmed that ship traffic wasn’t affected by the incident. The ArcelorMittal plant is east of the port.
