6 days ago
Weather helped mitigate potential pollution impact after U.S. Steel Clairton plant explosions, officials say
The Allegheny County Health Department is addressing the air quality in the wake of Monday's deadly explosions at the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works plant.
The video of the massive cloud that resulted from the explosions was shocking, but according to the health department, the potential pollution impact was mitigated because the weather cooperated.
"The Allegheny County Health Department air quality monitoring in Clairton, Liberty, Glassport and North Braddock all showed levels of PM2.5 and sulfur dioxide to be in the national ambient air quality limits before, during, and after the event yesterday," said Dr. Iulia Vann, director of the health department.
Vann said one of the reasons for that may have been because of one thing.
"Through conversations with our meteorologists and specialists in this area, we know that the event happened in the middle of a late summer morning, and the plume was able to rise out of the valley without the presence of an inversion in place," Vann said.
An inversion is when a warm air mass sits above a cold air mass and acts as a cap, trapping the lower air mass and whatever is in it closer to the ground.
Initially, people within 1 mile of the plant were told to wear masks, but the Allegheny County Health Department said that is no longer necessary.
"That advisory has been lifted after we have been able to see continuous data for over five hours that did not raise any concerns for us," Vann said.
Despite the all clear, the Allegheny County Health Department will be forwarding more samples for further analysis.
