Contaminated groundwater under a former Utah steel mill may be moving toward Utah Lake according to a recent report conducted by a Salt Lake City engineering company. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality is investigating the CH2M Hill study of the Geneva Steel site in Vineyard to determine if contaminated groundwater is moving beyond the facility boundary.
U.S. Steel operated the site in the early 1940s, producing millions of tons of steel for the war effort. After the war, U.S. Steel ran the company until 1987 when it sold the plant to Geneva Steel Company. During its years of operation, the facility produced a number of
cancer-causing toxic substances, including
arsenic,
lead,
zinc,
nickel, acids and petroleum products. Arsenic,
ammonia and
benzene recently showed up in a number of groundwater monitoring wells around the perimeter of the plant. Investigators are still unsure, however, if toxic chemicals are definitely moving toward Utah Lake.
Geneva filed for bankruptcy in January 2002 and halted operations in November of that year. Unless Geneva can sell the property, U.S. Steel and Geneva will be responsible for cleanup efforts. The companies are in disagreement over the cleanup costs each should owe.
See your doctor if you live near the Geneva Steel facility and have experienced serious health problems. In addition, it may be important to
contact an attorney who can help you protect your legal rights. Please keep in mind that there may be
time limits within which you must commence suit.
See Also
- Specific Contaminated Sites
- Anemia
- Asthma: Overview
- Balance Problems: Overview
- Birth Defects
- Bronchitis: Overview
- Cancer
- Coma: Overview
- Diabetes
- Fatigue: Overview
- Headaches
- Heart Failure: Overview
- High Blood Pressure (hypertension): Overview
- Immune Disorders
- Infections
- Keratosis: Overview
- Kidney & Urinary Tract Disorders
- Leukemia: Overview
- Melanosis: Overview
- Men's Health Matters
- Miscarriage: Overview
- Reproductive System: Overview
- Seizures: Overview
- Severe Constipation: Overview