Agreement Between US Steel, Allegheny Co. Health Dept. Reached Following Multiple Fires
CLAIRTON, Pa. (KDKA) - US Steel and Allegheny County Health Department have resolved enforcement orders associated with multiple fires.
This agreement, which contains $200 million in improvements to the Clairton Plant's coke batteries, follows a fire earlier this month, a fire back at Christmas and pollution concerns.
It says the new agreement will also put in place better training measures for employees, and a third-party consultant will do an annual air compliance audit.
The agreement says the health department will revisit the methods they use to measure emissions.
"U. S. Steel believes this agreement fairly addresses the reasons for our appeal of the enforcement orders related to battery compliance at our Clairton Plant while also demonstrating our commitment to protecting our shared environment and neighboring communities," says Sara Greenstein, Senior Vice President of Consumer Solutions at US Steel in a press release.
US Steel will install steel curtains and other improvements to trap emissions around the aging batteries, but it won't be replacing them.
"We would have certainly have liked it if they had actually replace some of the batteries," said health department director Dr. Karen Hacker.
"While that's said, we do believe these improvement are going to make a big difference in the emissions."
The company will also pay a $2.7 million civil penalty, ninety percent of which will go to a community benefit trust.