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U. S. Steel Reaches Agreement for Clairton Plant Incidents; Includes Significant Funding to Support Local Communities

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  • Allegheny County Health Department, Clean Air Council, and PennEnvironment have reached a consent decree with U. S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works - Clairton Plant that includes $19.5 million of investments in upgrades to coke oven gas cleaning facilities.
  • U. S. Steel will contribute $4.5 million to support local communities.
  • Clairton battery #15, which has been on hot idle, will move to permanent idle with no job losses.

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) signed a Consent Decree with the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), Clean Air Council, and PennEnvironment to address the Clairton Plant fire in 2018, and power outages at the Plant in 2019 and 2022. We regret that these accidental incidents occurred and believe this Consent Decree greatly benefits Mon Valley communities.

Under the Consent Decree, U. S. Steel agrees to:

  • Contribute $4.5 million to projects supporting public health and welfare and/or air quality improvement in the Mon Valley. Project funds will be managed and distributed by the Jefferson Regional Foundation and Allegheny County Department of Economic Development.
  • Invest approximately $19.5 million in upgrades to coke oven gas cleaning facilities.
  • Cover part of the litigation costs for PennEnvironment and Clean Air Council.
  • Pay $500,000 to the Allegheny County Clean Air Fund.
  • Permanently idle Battery #15 at Mon Valley Works - Clairton Plant, which has been on hot idle. The permanent idle will take place without job reductions. This permanent idling may lead to additional emissions reductions.
  • U. S. Steel also agreed to a lower hydrogen sulfide limit in coke oven gas and other environmentally beneficial changes to facilities at the Clairton Plant.

“At U. S. Steel, there are more than 3,000 hardworking men and women in the Mon Valley who strive every day to make essential steel in a way that complies with all environmental regulations. When we miss that mark, we will make changes so we can do better,” said Kurt Barshick, Mon Valley Works Vice President. “We’re glad that a significant amount of funds from this agreement will make their way back into the communities where we live and work.”

According to the Allegheny County Health Department, in the past 12 years, hazardous air pollutants have decreased by 80% in Allegheny County. U. S. Steel has invested roughly $750 million in its Mon Valley operations in the past five years and invests more than $100 million per year on environmental compliance efforts at Mon Valley Works. This work has contributed to an environmental and permit regulation compliance rate above 99%.

All material terms of the Consent Decree were agreed to last summer, and since that time the parties have been cooperating to finalize it and prepare it for filing in Federal District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. As this Consent Decree resolves a lawsuit, it is subject to Court approval.

Founded in 1901, United States Steel Corporation is a leading steel producer. With an unwavering focus on safety, the Company’s customer-centric Best for All® strategy is advancing a more secure, sustainable future for U. S. Steel and its stakeholders. With a renewed emphasis on innovation, U. S. Steel serves the automotive, construction, appliance, energy, containers, and packaging industries with high value-added steel products such as U. S. Steel’s proprietary XG3™ advanced high-strength steel. The Company also maintains competitively advantaged iron ore production and has an annual raw steelmaking capability of 22.4 million net tons. U. S. Steel is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with world-class operations across the United States and in Central Europe. For more information, please visit www.ussteel.com.

U. S. Steel Media Relations
T - (412) 433-1300
E - media@uss.com

Source: United States Steel Corporation