Pier Collapses at Great Lakes Steel Mill

A dock located at Arcelor Mittal in Burns Harbor, Ind., buckled during an offload of product of the motor vessel Algoma Transport, Sept. 25, 2012. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Leslie Downing.

A pier in Burns Harbor, Indiana collapsed on Tuesday during the offloading of bulk carrier, the USCG reports.

The USCG says that they received a report at approximately 6 a.m. on Tuesday that a dock  at a Port of Indiana facility owned by steel and mining company, ArcelorMittal, had collapsed.

Initial reports indicate that the collapse was apparently caused by the weight of a product from the facility, known as mill scale, which shifted causing the dock to cave in. The M/V Algoma Transport, a Canadian freight ship, was moored at the dock conducting cargo operations when the collapse occurred, causing the vessel to ground slightly.

So far there has been no reports of injuries or pollution.

“The situation could have been much worse, and we’re thankful that there haven’t been any personnel casualties as a result of the dock collapse,” said Cmdr. Jason Neubauer, commanding officer of Marine Safety Unit Chicago.

Damage assessments of the collapsed dock and the Algoma Transport are pending.