The Allegheny County Health Department has fined US Steel USD 4.6 million for uncontrolled push violations. Pushing is the process of unloading finished coke from the oven into a traveling hot car to be transported and cooled. The health department said an uncontrolled push happens when emissions that would normally go through a pushing emission control system don’t, releasing emissions into the air. The fine is for 831 violations from the beginning of January 2020 to mid-March of this year at the Clairton Coke plant. The Allegheny County Health Department’s Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen said “We are committed to protecting residents’ health and holding sources of pollution accountable. The Health Department expects 100% compliance, and this latest enforcement action further demonstrates our commitment to protecting air quality for all.”US Steel said “We are reviewing the order from the Allegheny County Health Department. The allegations in the order have never been brought to US Steel’s attention, despite meeting with ACHD several times over the course of many years. Considering that the order is based on reports that US Steel submitted to ACHD on a monthly basis during this extensive period, we would expect to have been informed that the Department was concerned, before waiting a significant amount of time and then taking unilateral action. We disagree with many of the assertions raised by ACHD in this order. This is yet another unfortunate example of ACHD choosing to proceed without collaboration, rejecting US Steel’s repeated requests to work on resolving disputes in a more productive and less litigious manner. US Steel remains committed to working with all stakeholders on improving air quality in the Mon Valley.”Breathe Project, a local environmental collaborative working to promote clean air, said "The Breathe Project applauds the Allegheny County Health Department for its latest action to hold US Steel accountable for ongoing emissions violations at the Clairton Coke Works. The findings that US Steel operated its plant improperly by allowing 831 uncontrolled pushing operations since 1 January 2020 are disturbing. This period coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic's core period. Evidence has shown that increased particle pollution exposure increased risks of getting Covid-19 and worsened health outcomes. What will it take to get US Steel to change their plans besides just continuing to pay fines? The USD 4.6 million fine registers as substantial, especially the adjustment factor applied because there have been 9 enforcement actions in the last 2 years at this facility. Their operating permit requires the operation of pushing emissions control equipment. That equipment apparently failed over 831 times, releasing pollution into our communities. We have many H2S violations and smell reports as a result. The actions of U.S. Steel are truly irresponsible and directly harm the health of Mon Valley residents, particularly elderly and vulnerable populations. It is time for ACHD to consider requiring Clairton Coke Works to hot-idle when its emissions equipment is not working properly so that our community's health can be protected."
The Allegheny County Health Department has fined US Steel USD 4.6 million for uncontrolled push violations. Pushing is the process of unloading finished coke from the oven into a traveling hot car to be transported and cooled. The health department said an uncontrolled push happens when emissions that would normally go through a pushing emission control system don’t, releasing emissions into the air. The fine is for 831 violations from the beginning of January 2020 to mid-March of this year at the Clairton Coke plant. The Allegheny County Health Department’s Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen said “We are committed to protecting residents’ health and holding sources of pollution accountable. The Health Department expects 100% compliance, and this latest enforcement action further demonstrates our commitment to protecting air quality for all.”US Steel said “We are reviewing the order from the Allegheny County Health Department. The allegations in the order have never been brought to US Steel’s attention, despite meeting with ACHD several times over the course of many years. Considering that the order is based on reports that US Steel submitted to ACHD on a monthly basis during this extensive period, we would expect to have been informed that the Department was concerned, before waiting a significant amount of time and then taking unilateral action. We disagree with many of the assertions raised by ACHD in this order. This is yet another unfortunate example of ACHD choosing to proceed without collaboration, rejecting US Steel’s repeated requests to work on resolving disputes in a more productive and less litigious manner. US Steel remains committed to working with all stakeholders on improving air quality in the Mon Valley.”Breathe Project, a local environmental collaborative working to promote clean air, said "The Breathe Project applauds the Allegheny County Health Department for its latest action to hold US Steel accountable for ongoing emissions violations at the Clairton Coke Works. The findings that US Steel operated its plant improperly by allowing 831 uncontrolled pushing operations since 1 January 2020 are disturbing. This period coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic's core period. Evidence has shown that increased particle pollution exposure increased risks of getting Covid-19 and worsened health outcomes. What will it take to get US Steel to change their plans besides just continuing to pay fines? The USD 4.6 million fine registers as substantial, especially the adjustment factor applied because there have been 9 enforcement actions in the last 2 years at this facility. Their operating permit requires the operation of pushing emissions control equipment. That equipment apparently failed over 831 times, releasing pollution into our communities. We have many H2S violations and smell reports as a result. The actions of U.S. Steel are truly irresponsible and directly harm the health of Mon Valley residents, particularly elderly and vulnerable populations. It is time for ACHD to consider requiring Clairton Coke Works to hot-idle when its emissions equipment is not working properly so that our community's health can be protected."
