US Steel Clairton Coke Works: what to know about the Pennsylvania plant after explosion injures several
The US Steel Clairton Coke Works in Pennsylvania, the largest coking facility in North America, was the site of an explosion that injured several people but caused no reported fatalities ABC Affiliate WTAE via REUTERS
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What to know about US Steel Clairton Coke Works
Several people were injured following an explosion Monday, August 10, at the US Steel Clairton Coke Works plant in Allegheny County , Pennsylvania. The industrial complex, located along the Monongahela River just south of Pittsburgh, is a key facility in the steelmaking supply chain.Videos from the scene showed thick black smoke rising from the plant as emergency crews responded. Clairton Mayor Rich Lattanzi said in a social media post, 'Just a report of an explosion! Asking for multiple ambulances! My prayers go out to anyone involved in this tragedy and their families and community.'Also read: Deadly explosion at Pennsylvania US Steel plant leaves ... Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro wrote on social media, 'My Administration is in touch with local officials in Clairton, PA as they respond to an explosion at US Steel Clairton Coke Works plant this morning. @PEMAHQ and @PAStatePolice are in touch with first responders and have offered all assistance. The scene is still active, and folks nearby should follow the direction of local authorities. Please join Lori and me in praying for the Clairton community.'Abigail Gardner, director of communications for Allegheny County, told CNN that there have been no reported fatalities connected to the incident.Owned by US Steel, the Clairton Coke Works is the largest coking facility in North America, according to CNN. Its primary function is converting raw coal into coke, a high-carbon fuel essential for steelmaking. This process is carried out in coke oven batteries that heat coal to extreme temperatures to remove impurities.The plant's location along the Monongahela River supports easy transportation of coal and coke products. It plays a central role in supplying materials to US Steel's other operations, including integrated steel mills.The facility has a history of safety and operational incidents. On February 5, 2025, a hydraulic failure at the plant's 'B' Battery caused an explosion that injured two workers. According to WESA, a malfunctioning switch led to a buildup of combustible material that subsequently ignited.Also read: Next Chernobyl? Experts warn Soviet-era nuclear plant at Armenia could explode at any moment While the cause of Monday's explosion has not yet been determined, emergency responders remain on site, and local officials continue to monitor air quality and structural safety. Residents in surrounding areas have been advised to follow official instructions.
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An explosion at a US Steel plant near Pittsburgh left one dead and dozens injured or trapped under the rubble on Monday, with emergency workers on site trying to rescue victims, officials said. The explosion sent black smoke spiralling into the midday sky in the Monongahela Valley, a region of the state synonymous with steel for more than a century. An Allegheny County emergency services spokesperson, Kasey Reigner, said one person died in the explosion and two were currently believed to be unaccounted for. Multiple other people were treated for injuries, Reigner said. Allegheny County Emergency Services said a fire at the plant started around 10:51 am. The explosion sent a shock through the community and led to officials asking residents to stay away from the scene so emergency workers could respond. 'It felt like thunder,' Zachary Buday, a construction worker near the scene, told WTAE-TV. 'Shook the scaffold, shook my chest, and shook the building, and then when we saw the dark smoke coming up from the steel mill and put two and two together, and it's like something bad happened.' Dozens were injured and the county was sending 15 ambulances, on top of the ambulances supplied by local emergency response agencies, Reigner said. Air quality concerns and health warnings The plant, a massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh, is considered the largest coking operation in North America and is one of four major US Steel plants in Pennsylvania that employ several thousand workers. Democratic Senator John Fetterman, who formerly served as the mayor of nearby Braddock, called the explosion 'absolutely tragic' and vowed to support steelworkers in the aftermath. 'I grieve for these families,' Fetterman said. 'I stand with the steelworkers.' The Allegheny County Health Department said it is monitoring the explosion and advised residents within 1.6 km of the plant to remain indoors, close all windows and doors, set air conditioning systems to recirculate, and avoid drawing in outside air, such as using exhaust fans. It said its monitors have not detected levels of soot or sulphur dioxide above federal standards. The plant converts coal to coke, a key component in the steel-making process. According to the company, it produces 4.3 million tonnes of coke annually and has approximately 1,400 workers. The plant has a long history of pollution concerns In recent years, the Clairton plant has been dogged by concerns about pollution. In 2019, it agreed to settle a 2017 lawsuit for $8.5 million. Under the settlement, the company agreed to spend $6.5 million to reduce soot emissions and noxious odors from the Clairton coke-making facility. The company also faced other lawsuits over pollution from the Clairton facility, including ones accusing the company of violating clean air laws after a 2018 fire damaged the facility's sulphur pollution controls. In 2018, a Christmas Eve fire at the Clairton coke works plant caused $40 million in damage. The fire damaged pollution control equipment and led to repeated releases of sulphur dioxide, according to a lawsuit. Sulphur dioxide is a colourless, pungent byproduct of fossil fuel combustion that can make it hard to breathe. In the wake of the fire, Allegheny County warned residents to limit outdoor activities, with residents saying for weeks afterward that the air felt acidic, smelled like rotten eggs and was hard to breathe. In February, a problem with a battery at the plant led to a 'buildup of combustible material' that ignited, causing an audible 'boom,' the Allegheny County Health Department said. Two workers who got material in their eyes received first aid treatment at a local hospital but were not seriously injured. Last year, the company agreed to spend $19.5 million in equipment upgrades and $5 million on local clean air efforts and programs as part of settling a federal lawsuit filed by Clean Air Council and PennEnvironment and the Allegheny County Health Department. The fire at the Clairton plant knocked out pollution controls at its Mon Valley plants, but US Steel continued to run them anyway, environmental groups said. The lawsuits accused the steel producer of more than 12,000 violations of its air pollution permits. Environmental group calls for an investigation David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment, another environmental group that has sued US Steel over pollution, said there needed to be 'a full, independent investigation into the causes of this latest catastrophe and a re-evaluation as to whether the Clairton plant is fit to keep operating'. In June, US Steel and Nippon Steel announced they had finalised a 'historic partnership,' a deal that gives the US government a say in some matters and comes a year and a half after the Japanese company first proposed its nearly $15 billion buyout of the iconic American steelmaker. The pursuit by Nippon Steel for the Pittsburgh-based company was buffeted by national security concerns and presidential politics in a premier battleground state, dragging out the transaction for more than a year after US Steel shareholders approved it. Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi said his heart goes out to the victims of Monday explosion. 'The mill is such a big part of Clairton,' he said. 'It's just a sad day for Clairton.'
