Several weeks after U.S. Steel was slapped with over $2 million in pollution fines, the Allegheny County Health Department announced on Thursday it was tacking on a separate, $4.5 million penalty.
According to a statement from the health department, the penalty stems from U.S. Steel’s operations at its Clairton coke plant, which received 831 uncontrolled pushing violations between Jan. 1, 2020, and earlier this month.
“Pushing,” the process of unloading finished coke onto trucks, requires those vehicles to be equipped with a hood that filters out polluting emissions.
U.S. Steel is accused of uncontrolled pushing, where emissions aren’t passed through a filter, for those 831 violations, the county said.
“We are committed to protecting residents’ health and holding sources of pollution accountable,” health department Director Dr. Debra Bogen said in a statement. “The Health Department expects 100% compliance, and this latest enforcement action further demonstrates our commitment to protecting air quality for all. I thank my staff for their continued hard work and vigilance.”
Amanda Malkowski, a spokesperson for U.S. Steel, responded to the penalty in a statement on Thursday, saying the company was reviewing the order.
“The allegations in the order have never been brought to U.S. Steel’s attention, despite meeting with ACHD several times over the course of many years,” the statement said. “Considering that the order is based on reports that U.S. 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,” the statement continued. “This is yet another unfortunate example of ACHD choosing to proceed without collaboration, rejecting U.S. Steel’s repeated requests to work on resolving disputes in a more productive and less litigious manner. U.S. Steel remains committed to working with all stakeholders on improving air quality in the Mon Valley.”
As Dr. Bogen continues to make air quality protection in the Mon Valley a focus, U.S. Steel and other companies have seen multiple fines issued in recent months.
On Oct. 5, the health department issued an enforcement order to Neville Chemical Co. for violating emissions limits.
Before Thursday, U.S. Steel was fined twice in 2022.
On March 3, the company was fined $859,300 for violating pollution limits at its Clairton coke plant during the last two quarters of 2021.
Four days later, the department issued another $1.8 million in fines for exceeding limitations on hydrogen sulfide.
During a review of emissions data from the Clairton coke plant, the health department said uncontrolled pushing happened at eight of U.S. Steel’s 10 coke batteries.
“The penalty is based on several factors including the nature, severity, and frequency of the violations; the willfulness of such violations; and the impact of such violations on the public and the environment,” a statement from the department said.
The Group Against Smog Pollution, a Swissvale-based community organization, lauded the health department’s order on Thursday.
"Environmental laws and regulations protect public health,” said GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell. “I think ACHD's recent enforcement efforts validate what community members have experienced for far too long: that U.S. Steel is not even close to being the good neighbor it pretends to be in its public statements.”
The Breathe Project, an air-quality advocacy group, called the violations by U.S. Steel since Jan. 1, 2020, “disturbing.”
“This period coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic's core period,” said Matt Mehalik, executive director of the Breathe Project. “Evidence has shown that increased particle pollution exposure increased risks of getting Covid-19 and worsened health outcomes.”
First Published: March 24, 2022, 9:08 p.m.
Updated: March 25, 2022, 12:29 p.m.
