US Steel will expand the use of biodiesel fuels at its Gary Works plant, officials announced Tuesday.
The Gary, Indiana-based steelmaker announced this week that it plans to use a blend of soy-based biodiesel and petroleum fuel for all its nearly 150 pieces of construction equipment, trucks, and other vehicles.
US Steel is currently using a blend made of 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent petroleum for about 85 vehicles at its Gary Works facility, and plans to increase the percentage of biodiesel to 10 percent within the next two to three months.
Gary Williams, General Manager at Gary Works is confidant that other plants will follow US Steel's lead. "The benefits of improved quality of life and less dependence on foreign oil is something we all must strive for," Mr. Williams said.
However, US Steel is unlikely to win any awards for being environmentally friendly anytime soon: it also this week received the Indiana Department of Environment Management's tentative permission to continue discharging 2,802 pounds of oil and grease and 2,038 pounds of suspended solids into the Grand Calumet River every day.
Algoma lets off some steam
Residents of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, keep your earplugs handy!
In preparation for the return to service of its #5 Turbo Blower, Canadian steelmaker Algoma Steel Inc. will continue its periodic "steam blows" on Friday July 27 between the hours of 2 p.m. And 7 p.m.
The blows involve the release of short bursts of steam which result in loud auditory blasts - similar to the sound of a jet flying overhead.
The company says that the steam blows, which started Tuesday, are required as part of the commissioning process and in preparation for tie-ins to the new co-generation facility.
Americans are driving distracted, survey reveals
According to a report released by the American Iron and Steel Association this week, distracted driving is a growing safety concern in the US. The report features examples of "driving while distracted" submitted by participants of a survey that the steel association conducted.
While most of us have seen someone talking on the phone, eating, or even applying makeup while driving, AISI said its survey respondents witnessed even more outrageous examples, like changing clothes and using a laptop while driving.
One person even saw a doctor reviewing X-rays while driving.
Bill Heenan of the Steel Recycling Institute told AISI, "The steel safety cage in a car is the last line of defense for vehicle occupants in the event of a crash . . . Everyday we are hearing about more and more accidents caused by distracted driving, so it's time that this issue becomes front and center in our everyday conversations."
The survey was carried out as a part of a summer safety campaign being conducted by AISI. For more tips on safe driving, visit www.steel.org
Iron-hungry bacteria eating Twin Ports docks
Duluth, Minnesota is having to do some investigative work to figure out why its Twin Ports docks are deteriorating.
On Thursday, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority approved using up to $7,000 so that divers can take samples of the steel frames supporting the docks of the Twin Ports harbor to see what is causing their corrosion, first discovered in 1998.
Accelerated corrosion is uncommon in freshwater, so the Port Authority suspects that steel-eating bacteria may be to blame.
Port Authority Facilities Manager Jim Sharrow told press, "UMD (The University of Minnesota in Duluth) has already discovered two kinds of iron-eating bacteria. They discovered that earlier this year. We think these bacteria are somehow involved, but there's a very specific process by which they can prove whether they're causing or if they're just picking up what's left after whatever else is causing it."
The Port hopes the research conducted by AMI Consulting Engineers of Duluth will help them discover an epoxy coating that when applied to the docks, will combat the corrosion over long periods of time.