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Irish Times
11 hours ago
- Irish Times
Explosion at US Steel plant in Pennsylvania leaves two dead
An explosion at a US Steel plant in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, killed two people and injured at least 10 on Monday, officials said. The body of one worker was pulled from the wreckage hours after an explosion that sent black smoke spiralling into the sky in the Mon Valley, a region of the state synonymous with steel for more than a century. Allegheny county emergency services said a fire at the plant started around 10.51am local time. Authorities later said a second person had died. Abigail Gardner, the director of communications for Allegheny county, told local news station TribLive that 'a search-and-rescue operation' was under way after the blast. The explosion, followed by several smaller blasts, could be felt in the nearby community and prompted county officials to warn residents to stay away from the scene so emergency workers could respond. READ MORE '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.' Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro said in a statement on X: 'My administration is in touch with local officials in Clairton ... as they respond to an explosion at US Steel Clairton Coke Works plant [Monday] morning.' He said Pennsylvania's emergency management agency and its state police were in 'touch with first responders and have offered all assistance'. John Fetterman, a Democratic Pennsylvania US senator 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.' Clairton's mayor, Richard Lattanzi, said his heart went out to the victims of the explosion. 'The mill is such a big part of Clairton,' he said. 'It's just a sad day for Clairton.' The Clairton Coke Works, a huge industrial facility along the Monongahela river about 32km south of Pittsburgh, is considered the largest coking operation in North America. The plant, which is part of US Steel and more than 120 years old, bakes coal at high temperatures into a pure carbon form that is then used in blast furnaces to turn iron ore into liquid iron used to make steel. The Clairton plant supplies coke to US Steel's mill in Gary, Indiana, and has previously been subject to concerns about safety and pollution. In February, a problem with a battery at the plant led to a 'build-up 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. 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 odours from the plant. In June, US Steel and Nippon Steel announced they had finalised a 'historic partnership'. The deal came a year and a half after the Japanese company first proposed its nearly $15 billion (€12.9 billion) buyout of the US steelmaker. The deal was approved with a caveat issued by Donald Trump in a June executive order, in which the president said he 'reserved my authority to issue further orders with respect to the purchasers or US Steel as shall in my judgment be necessary to protect the national security of the United States'. The Breathe Project, a southwestern Pennsylvania group working to improve air quality in the region, warned the facility was likely emitting hazardous air pollutants, including asbestos, heavy metals and possibly benzene. 'This is the third major event at this plant in 2025. There was a stack explosion on February 2nd, 2025. A pollution control room malfunction on June 2nd-3rd, 2025 took pollution control equipment offline for an extended period of time. There were no known major documented injuries from these prior two incidents. Unfortunately, the incident today is more dire,' it said in a statement. 'Many people have been concerned about this facility and the community that hosts it for a long time. For decades, workers and residents across western Pennsylvania have heard lofty promises from US Steel – many of which are later delayed or abandoned – and often delivered without transparency or meaningful community involvement,' it added, warning: 'Problems have been ongoing with the facility, piling tragedy upon tragedy.' - Guardian, additional reporting AP
The Guardian
18 hours ago
- The Guardian
Explosion ‘like thunder' at Pennsylvania US Steel plant leaves at least one dead
One person has died and two are believed to be unaccounted for after an explosion at a US Steel plant in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, officials said. An Allegheny county emergency services spokesperson, Kasey Reigner, said multiple other people were treated for injuries. Abigail Gardner, the director of communications for Allegheny county, told local news station TribLive that 'a search-and-rescue operation' was under way after the blast. '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.' The Allegheny county emergency services said a fire at the plant in Clairton started at about 10.51am and that at least five people had been taken to area hospitals. The agency did not provide any more details on those people transported and would only say it was an 'active scene'. Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro said in a statement on X: 'My administration is in touch with local officials in Clairton … as they respond to an explosion at US Steel Clairton Coke Works plant [Monday] morning.' He said Pennsylvania's emergency management agency and its state police were in 'touch with first responders and have offered all assistance'. John Fetterman, a Democratic Pennsylvania US senator 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.' Clairton's mayor, Richard Lattanzi, said his heart went out to the victims of the explosion. 'The mill is such a big part of Clairton,' he said. 'It's just a sad day for Clairton.' The Clairton Coke Works, a huge industrial facility along the Monongahela River about 20 miles (32km) south of Pittsburgh, is considered the largest coking operation in North America. The plant, which is part of US Steel and more than 120 years old, bakes coal at high temperatures into a pure carbon form that is then used in blast furnaces to turn iron ore into liquid iron used to make steel. The Clairton plant supplies coke to US Steel's mill in Gary, Indiana, and has previously been subject to concerns about safety and pollution. 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. In 2019, it agreed to settle a 2017 lawsuit for $8.5m. Under the settlement, the company agreed to spend $6.5m to reduce soot emissions and noxious odors from the plant. In June, US Steel and Nippon Steel announced they had finalized a 'historic partnership'. The deal came a year and a half after the Japanese company first proposed its nearly $15bn buyout of the US steelmaker. The deal was approved with a caveat issued by Donald Trump in a June executive order, in which the president said he 'reserved my authority to issue further orders with respect to the purchasers or US Steel as shall in my judgment be necessary to protect the national security of the United States'. The Breathe Project, a south-western Pennsylvania group working to improve air quality in the region, warned the facility was likely emitting hazardous air pollutants, including asbestos, heavy metals and possibly benzene. 'This is the third major event at this plant in 2025. There was a stack explosion on February 2, 2025. A pollution control room malfunction on June 2-3, 2025 took pollution control equipment offline for an extended period of time. There were no known major documented injuries from these prior two incidents. Unfortunately, the incident today is more dire,' it said in a statement. 'Many people have been concerned about this facility and the community that hosts it for a long time. For decades, workers and residents across Western Pennsylvania have heard lofty promises from US Steel – many of which are later delayed or abandoned – and often delivered without transparency or meaningful community involvement,' it added, warning: 'Problems have been ongoing with the facility, piling tragedy upon tragedy.' Associated Press contributed reporting
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Clairton Coke Works explosion: 1 killed, dozens trapped under rubble at U.S. Steel plant in Pennsylvania
Emergency officials are on the scene as dozens were reportedly injured by the explosion. One person has died and dozens are reportedly injured or trapped under rubble following an explosion at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh on Monday, an Allegheny County emergency services spokesperson told the Associated Press. A fire erupted at Clairton Coke Works around 10:51 a.m. ET, the AP reported. 'There is rescue operation underway for people trapped under the rubble,' Abigail Gardner, director of communications for Allegheny County, said in a statement, according to CNN. 'The Health Department is on site monitoring air quality. We will release more information when we can.' Clairton Coke Works sits along the Monongahela River, about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh, and is part of the U.S. Steel manufacturing group based out of western Pennsylvania. Plants like this heat up coal to produce coke, a carbon-rich substance that's crucial for creating steel. Clairton Coke Works is considered the largest coke plant in North America, according to U.S. Steel, and produces around 4.3 million tons of coke annually. The explosion reportedly took place inside the plant's 'reversing' room, sources told Pittsburgh KDKA reporter Ricky Sayer, which is a specialized area within the coke-producing oven that's designed to help control air and gas flows during the coal heating process. Two people are being treated at the UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, a spokesperson told CNN. 'It felt like thunder,' Zachary Buday, a construction worker who was near the scene at the time of the explosion, told local ABC affiliate, 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.' Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in an X post that his administration was in touch with local officials. 'The scene is still active, and folks nearby should follow the direction of local authorities,' Shapiro wrote. 'Please join Lori and me in praying for the Clairton community.' Over the last few years, Clairton Coke Works has faced a number of lawsuits regarding its pollution. Most recently, in 2019, the plant settled a 2017 lawsuit for $8.5 million and agreed to spend at least $6.5 million to reduce its soot emissions and noxious odors. 'The mill is such a big part of Clairton,' Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi said Monday afternoon, according to AP. 'It's just a sad day for Clairton.'Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Clairton Coke Works explosion: 1 killed, dozens trapped under rubble at U.S. Steel plant in Pennsylvania
Emergency officials are on the scene as dozens were reportedly injured by the explosion. One person has died and dozens are reportedly injured or trapped under rubble following an explosion at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh on Monday, an Allegheny County emergency services spokesperson told the Associated Press. A fire erupted at Clairton Coke Works around 10:51 a.m. ET, the AP reported. 'There is rescue operation underway for people trapped under the rubble,' Abigail Gardner, director of communications for Allegheny County, said in a statement, according to CNN. 'The Health Department is on site monitoring air quality. We will release more information when we can.' Clairton Coke Works sits along the Monongahela River, about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh, and is part of the U.S. Steel manufacturing group based out of western Pennsylvania. Plants like this heat up coal to produce coke, a carbon-rich substance that's crucial for creating steel. Clairton Coke Works is considered the largest coke plant in North America, according to U.S. Steel, and produces around 4.3 million tons of coke annually. The explosion reportedly took place inside the plant's 'reversing' room, sources told Pittsburgh KDKA reporter Ricky Sayer, which is a specialized area within the coke-producing oven that's designed to help control air and gas flows during the coal heating process. Two people are being treated at the UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, a spokesperson told CNN. 'It felt like thunder,' Zachary Buday, a construction worker who was near the scene at the time of the explosion, told local ABC affiliate, 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.' Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in an X post that his administration was in touch with local officials. 'The scene is still active, and folks nearby should follow the direction of local authorities,' Shapiro wrote. 'Please join Lori and me in praying for the Clairton community.' Over the last few years, Clairton Coke Works has faced a number of lawsuits regarding its pollution. Most recently, in 2019, the plant settled a 2017 lawsuit for $8.5 million and agreed to spend at least $6.5 million to reduce its soot emissions and noxious odors. 'The mill is such a big part of Clairton,' Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi said Monday afternoon, according to AP. 'It's just a sad day for Clairton.'Solve the daily Crossword
Fast Company
a day ago
- General
- Fast Company
U.S. Steel plant explosion in Pennsylvania injures dozens and traps some people under rubble
NEWS The plant is considered the largest coking operation in North America and is one of four major U.S. Steel plants in Pennsylvania with several thousand workers. The US Steel Clairton Plant in Clairton, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, April 8, 2024. [Photo: Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images] BY Listen to this Article More info 0:00 / 5:41 An explosion at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh left dozens injured or trapped under the rubble Monday, with emergency workers on site trying to rescue them, officials said. There are no confirmed fatalities at the Clairton Coke Works, said Abigail Gardner, director of communications for Allegheny County. The explosion sent black smoke spiralling into the midday sky in the Monongahela Valley, a region synonymous with the state for more than a century. '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.' Allegheny County Emergency Services said a fire at the plant started around 10:51 a.m. and that it has transported five people. The agency did not provide any more details on those people transported. An Allegheny County emergency services spokesperson, Kasey Reigner, said dozens were injured and the county was sending 15 ambulances, on top of the ambulances supplied by local emergency response agencies. 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 U.S. Steel plants in Pennsylvania that employ several thousand workers. Democratic Sen. 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 mile (1.6 kilometers) 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 sulfur 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 tons (3.9 million metric tons) 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 sulfur 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 sulfur dioxide, according to a lawsuit. Sulfur dioxide is a colorless, 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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, U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel announced they had finalized a 'historic partnership,' a deal that gives the U.S. 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 U.S. 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.' —Marc Levy, Michael Casey, and Patrick Whittle, Associated Press
