Portions of the ArcelorMittal facility at Burns Harbor were evacuated on Thursday after a coke oven gas pipe ruptured, the Chesterton Fire Department said.

Engineer Brent Valpatic of the CFD told the Chesterton Tribune today that firefighters were dispatched to the mill at 10:19 to go on standby at the AreclorMittal fire station after a six-inch hole in the pipe began releasing coke oven gas into the atmosphere. Coke oven gas, a byproduct from the coking process used as energy source at the mill for other applications, is an especially potent source of carbon monoxide, Valpatic said, and a strong southerly wind prompted the evacuation of the basic oxygen furnace facility, the castor facility, and some nearby offices.

Burns Harbor Fire Chief Bill Arney said that the BHVFD also responded and was similarly placed on standby as the atmosphere was being monitored for concentrations of CO.

Both the CFD and the BHVFD cleared the scene late in the morning.

Posted 7/11/2008