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PORTAGE — A chemical spill from the U.S. Steel Midwest Plant into the Burns Waterway was likely caused by a failed expansion joint in the rinse water pipe.

U.S. Steel issued a statement shortly after noon on Wednesday of the latest findings of the investigation into the spill which caused the closure of area beaches.

"At the U. S. Steel Midwest Plant on Tuesday April 11, there was a release of process waste water from the Tin and Tin Free electroplating lines. The waste water is from the process used to treat the steel strip after electroplating, and the rinse water from this process is conveyed via pipe to a dedicated treatment plant. The preliminary investigation revealed that an expansion joint in the rinse water pipe failed and resulted in the water being released to a different wastewater treatment plant and ultimately Burns Waterway through an outfall," according to the statement.