U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works plan in Clairton, PA. The facility was the site of fires on Dec. 24 and June 17. (Photo by Varshini Chellapilla/PublicSource)
The department considered issuing an emergency order to require U.S. Steel to take steps to reduce its emissions, email records show. Officials went as far as drafting such an order, they said. But they didn’t issue it because the company was already voluntarily taking many of the steps the county believed would keep residents safe.
Two weeks passed until health officials warned the public of increased pollution risks. By that time, federal air quality standards had already been violated six times.
When a June 17 fire knocked out the facility’s pollution controls a second time, the health department responded faster and more forcefully. This time, the department issued an order demanding the company fix its damaged pollution controls within 20 days or shut down.
County health officials explained Tuesday that increased pressure from residents, environmental activists and local politicians, made them realize that their December response was inadequate. They said they didn’t communicate quickly enough with the public about the health dangers.
After the second fire broke out early Monday morning, environmental activists and local officials were outraged.
“I’m very disappointed that this is happening again,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a statement yesterday. “People in this community need assurance that the pollution control equipment is reliable and usable.”
Read entire article at:
https://www.publicsource.org/a-tale-of-two-fires-allegheny-county-health-officials-change-approach-after-second-fire-at-u-s-steels-clairton-plant/
About Post Author
