An explosion at a U.S. Steel plant south of Pittsburgh killed two people and injured 10 others. The CEO has vowed to find out what caused Monday’s blast while union officials say representatives will work to ensure a thorough investigation.
The plant, Clairton Coke Works, is one of four major plants in Pennsylvania owned by U.S. Steel, an icon of the domestic steel industry and American industrialization for over a century. The plant is in the Mon Valley, a region of the state synonymous with steel.
Here’s what to know about the explosion:
Blast felt nearby
Allegheny County Emergency Services said a fire at the plant started around 10:50 a.m. The explosion, which was followed by several smaller blasts, sent black smoke spiraling into air.
The blast 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.
One worker was rescued from the smoldering rubble hours later.
Allegheny Health Network said it treated seven patients from the plant and discharged five within a few hours. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said it was treating three patients at UPMC Mercy, the region’s only level one trauma and burn center.
Past explosions
The plant converts coal to coke, a key component in the steel-making process. It’s the largest coking operation in North America.
Coke is made by baking coal in special ovens for hours at high temperatures, which removes 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 Coke Works, which has 1,400 workers, has had explosions and fatal accidents before:
1. In September 2009, a maintenance worker was killed in an explosion
2. In July 2010, an explosion injured 14 employees and six contractors. Afterward, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined U.S. Steel and a subcontractor $175,000 for safety violations. U.S. Steel appealed its citations and $143,500 in fines, which were later reduced under a settlement agreement.
3. The last death at the plant was in 2014, according to online OSHA records of workplace fatalities. A worker was burned and died after falling into a trench.
4. In February, a problem with a battery at the plant led to a “buildup of combustible material” that ignited, causing an audible “boom,” officials said. Two workers received first aid treatment but were not seriously injured.
Plant pollution concerns
After Monday’s blast, the county health department initially told residents within 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of the plant to remain indoors and close all windows and doors. The department lifted the advisory after its monitors didn’t detect levels of soot or sulfur dioxide above federal standards.
In 2018, a Christmas Eve fire damaged pollution control equipment and led to repeated releases of sulfur dioxide, according to a subsequent lawsuit. The fire prompted Allegheny County to warn residents to limit outdoor activities. Residents said it was hard to breathe for weeks afterward and that the air felt acidic and smelled like rotten eggs. U.S. Steel settled the lawsuit last year with an agreement to spend $19.5 million in equipment upgrades and $5 million on local clean air efforts and programs.
Dr. Deborah Gentile, the medical director of Community Partners in Asthma Care, studied asthma levels after the fire and found twice as many patients sought medical treatment. One of her colleagues found patients living near the plant had increased symptoms of asthma, including coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
In 2019, U.S. Steel agreed to settle a lawsuit regarding air pollution from Clairton for $8.5 million.
A storied history and new ownership
U.S. Steel has been a symbol of industrialization since it was founded in 1901 by J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie and others. It’s been the icon of the American steel industry that once dominated the world market until Japan, then China, became preeminent steelmakers over the past 40 years.
Its steel has helped build everything from the United Nations building in New York City to the New Orleans Superdome.
Japan’s largest steelmaker, Nippon Steel, in June finalized a deal to acquire U.S. Steel for nearly $15 billion. The agreement took more than a year to come together after U.S. Steel shareholders approved it as the parties surmounted obstacles created by national security concerns and presidential politics in a premier battleground state.
The deal includes what is known as a “golden share” provision that gives the U.S. government the power to appoint a board member and a say in company decisions that affect domestic steel production and competition with overseas producers. The combined company is the world’s fourth-largest steelmaker in an industry now dominated by China.
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