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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business Standard
Explosion at US Steel plant in Pennsylvania leaves 1 dead, dozens hurt
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.'
American Press
2 days ago
- American Press
UPDATE: Explosions at US Steel plant leave 1 dead and dozens hurt or trapped under rubble
Explosions at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh left one dead and dozens injured or trapped under the rubble Monday, with emergency workers on site trying to rescue victims, officials said. The explosions sent black smoke spiralling into the midday sky in the Mon 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 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 a.m. The explosions 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. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said via X that 'multiple explosions' occurred at the facility. Clairton residents like Amy Sowers, 49, felt an explosion nearby. Sowers, who was sitting on her porch located less than a mile from the plant, felt her house shake. 'I could see smoke from my driveway,' she said. 'We heard ambulances and fire trucks from every direction.' Sowers decided to leave the area after she said she smelled a faint smell in the air. Sowers, who grew up in Clairton, has seen several incidents at the plant over the years. Despite health concerns, Sowers said many residents cannot afford to leave. A maintenance worker was killed in an explosion at the plant in September 2009. In July 2010, another explosion injured 14 employees and six contractors. 'Lives were lost again,' Sowers said. 'How many more lives are going to have to be lost until something happens?' 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. In a statement, U.S. Steel said an 'incident' occurred at the plant's coke oven batteries 13 and 14. The company, now a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Steel Corp., said emergency teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, but it gave no other details about the cause of the explosions, casualties or damage. The company's CEO, David Burritt, said in the statement that U.S. Steel is working with authorities to investigate the cause. The plant converts coal to coke, a key component in the steel-making process. To make coke, coal is baked in special ovens for hours at high temperatures to remove impurities that could otherwise weaken steel. The process creates what's known as coke gas — made up of a lethal mix of methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi said his heart goes out to the victims of Monday's explosions. 'The mill is such a big part of Clairton,' he said. 'It's just a sad day for Clairton.' The Allegheny County Health Department said it is monitoring the explosions 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. According to the company, the plant produces 4.3 million tons (3.9 million metric tons) of coke annually and has approximately 1,400 workers.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Explosion at US Steel plant in Pennsylvania leaves one dead, dozens hurt or trapped under rubble
An explosion at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh left one dead and dozens injured or trapped under the rubble 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 a.m. 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 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.
UPI
2 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
At least 1 dead, dozens hurt in U.S. Steel plant blast near Pittsburgh
Aug. 11 (UPI) -- At least one person is dead and several are injured, including those trapped in rubble, after an explosion at the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works about 15 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, officials said. Allegheny County Emergency Services spokesperson Kasey Reigner told WPXI-TV that "dozens were injured" in the blast. Also, two people are missing as crews searched for victims trapped in rubble. At 10:50 a.m. EDT, emergency medical services received a call for an "ongoing situation" at the plant for a potential mass casualty event, Reigner told the Post-Gazette. A Level 3 Mass Casualty incident was declared and more resources across the region were deployed. Allegheny County Health Department advised people who live within a mile to stay inside. The extent of injuries wasn't clear, though several people were taken to hospitals. Allegheny Health Network told WPXI that it was receiving patients at several of its hospitals, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said two patients were taken to Mercy Hospital. WTAE-TV's helicopter captured fire crews battling flames while ambulances rushed to the area. Breath Project captured when the explosion occurred. "Felt like thunder," Zachary Buday, who was working close to the scene, told WTAE. "Shook the scaffold, shook my chest, then shook the building. Then we saw the smoke coming up from the steel mill." He said there wasn't fire but black smoke. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who grew up near the area in McKeesport, posted on X: "The Commonwealth is providing whatever resources and manpower are needed to help with emergency response. Please stay away from the area at this time to allow emergency crews to do their job and follow all future guidance from officials for those that live nearby." Gov. Josh Shapiro posted on X that his administration "is in touch with local officials." He said: "The scene is still active, and folks nearby should follow the direction of local authorities." Sen. John Fetterman, who serves Pennsylvanians, wrote on X: "My team and I are tracking this explosion and waiting for more information." Calirton Coke Works, which is situated along the Monongahela River, is considered the largest coke manufacturing plant in North America with several million tons produced annually. In the process, raw coal is turned into coke, which is used in steelmaking. The company's headquarters are in Pittsburgh. U.S. Steel, which was founded in 1901, has about 22,000 employees with revenue of $15.6 billion in 2024. In May, President Donald Trump announced a partnership with Japan's Nippon Steel Corporation. He also said there would be a 50% tariff on imported steel. He appeared at the Edgar Thomas Plant near Braddock.
