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U.S. Steel Reaches Deal with Health Department on Emissions Violations

03/19/2008 - U.S. Steel reaches a consent order and agreement with the Allegheny County Health Department regarding air pollution violations at the company’s Clairton Coke Works and the Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pa.

The Allegheny County Health Department has reached a consent order and agreement with U.S. Steel Corp. regarding air pollution violations at the company’s Clairton Coke Works and the Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pa.
 
The agreement calls for U.S. Steel to reduce emissions at Clairton by implementing a comprehensive repair and maintenance program on 9 of its 12 coke-oven batteries. The agreement also specifies enforceable dates for shutdown of the six oldest batteries; those batteries will be replaced by two larger units with state-of-the-art pollution controls.
 
“The new agreement not only corrects existing violations at Clairton, but also ensures that the six oldest batteries slated for shutdown are properly maintained and operated in compliance until they are replaced,” said County Health Director Dr. Bruce W. Dixon. 
 
Dixon added that the air quality improvements at Clairton are especially important, because the Clairton area is currently classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a non-attainment area for the national standard for fine particulate pollution.
 
The Clairton facility, which had been cited for coke-oven pushing and combustion-stack emissions violations, is also to see extensive repairs to its Battery B, according to a similar COA signed by the Health Department and U.S. Steel in June, 2007. Battery B is Clairton’s largest coke-oven battery. 
 
The current COA also addresses citations for self-reported excessive emissions from the Edgar Thomson facility’s basic oxygen process shop and ladle metallurgical facility. According to the COA, U.S. Steel must upgrade pollution controls on both the LMF and BOP shop.
 
U.S. Steel also will pay a civil penalty of $301,800 into the County Clean Air Fund to settle past violations. The company also agreed to pay graduated stipulated penalties of $500 to $2000 a day for missing corrective action deadlines and penalties of $200 to $500 for future emission violations.