As we continue to advocate for a cleaner, safer Mon Valley, the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is keeping a close eye on the fallout from the deadly August 2025 explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works . In case you missed it, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) published an interim report following that issued interim safety recommendations to the company. You can read the entire document here  (and we totally recommend that you do). For those who’d prefer the Clif’s Notes, here’s a breakdown of what the investigators found and why it matters for our community. The CSB’s findings are…sobering. The explosion happened when coke oven gas leaked and ignited in a transfer area. The board found that the buildings where workers were stationed—including control rooms and break rooms—were simply not designed to protect people from such a blast.   The CSB has issued two main interim fixes: What’s most frustrating for those of us following U.S. Steel’s safety record is that these aren't necessarily new ideas. The CSB pointed out that industry-standard safety practices for what’s known as facility siting—essentially making sure workers aren't sitting ducks in a blast zone—have existed for YEARS. In fact, the document notes that some of these specific safety recommendations were, in fact, suggested in the past. Despite those warnings, U.S. Steel management didn't enact those recommended changes. Here are the receipts: Now, in the wake of a tragedy, the company has already started rebuilding gas piping in almost the exact same location and layout as before. They are also moving control rooms only about 100 feet away—a move the CSB says might not actually be safe without a real evaluation. At GASP, we know that worker safety and environmental safety go hand-in-hand. These incidents often lead to massive releases of pollutants and emergency flaring that bypasses pollution controls. We’re glad to see the CSB stepping in, but it shouldn't take a fatal explosion to get a company to follow basic safety protocols that have been on the books for years. Editor’s Note: GASP continues to follow this issue closely. We’ll keep you updated as the final report is released.

Yinz smell that?! That tell-tale stench of rotten eggs? You’re not smelling things: Concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (or H2S for short) are sky-high in and around the Mon Valley today. And you’re not alone in your suffering - social media and Carnegie Mellon University’s Smell Pittsburgh app lit up with complaints starting overnight Monday and continuing into the afternoon Tuesday: For the uninitiated: H2S is a toxic gas that occurs both naturally (from sources such as swamps, manure pits, and oil, gas, and water wells) and as a result of industrial activity (including, most notably for our region, coke making). According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry , H2S is a colorless gas recognizable by its rotten-egg odor. Exposure to the levels of hydrogen sulfide we see in the Mon Valley can cause: irritation to the eyes, nose, or throat headaches poor memory tiredness breathing problems for some people with asthma balance problems Just how elevated were levels of the foul-smelling pollutant? The short answer: They were high enough to exceed the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s 24-hour average standard, marking the first exceedances of the new year. But those exceedances don’t tell the whole story on today’s H2S event. There were also  crazy-high H2S spikes at Allegheny County Health Department’s air quality monitors in both Liberty and North Braddock. For reference: Pennsylvania’s 24-hour average standard for H2S is 5 parts per billion. As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, the 24-hour average for H2S at the Liberty monitor was more than twice that. Here’s a look at those spikes: You might be asking yourself at this point, “But where does the stuff come from?” Fortunately, several studies have placed the blame squarely on U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works facility. You can read more about all that here . So, what can you do about it? Two words: Report it. Make a complaint to the Allegheny County Health Department, which is tasked with enforcing DEP’s H2S standard. We also implore you to report poor air quality on the Smell Pittsburgh app. GASP is following this issue closely and has - and will continue - to demand ACHD do more to stem stench in the Mon Valley through more robust enforcement. “This issue has been ongoing for decades. Knowing the source is awesome, but it’s not enough. More must be done to reel in these episodes of hours-long stench that residents say impact everything from their sleep to their breathing to their quality of life,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “There were just as many H2S exceedances in 2025 as there were in 2024. So, we’re NOT making progress on this issue, just holding the line at best.”

A view of the new and improved EJ Mapping tool. Here’s some good news YEARS in the making, friends: The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released the final Environmental Justice (EJ) Policy - one that is expected to improve environmental safeguards in the Keystone State by enhancing opportunities for public participation and emphasizing proactive community engagement across. The document, which was last updated 20 years ago (!!!) will be used to guide DEP protections for communities most vulnerable to environmental challenges. The news was announced Monday in a press release issued by Gov. Josh Shapiro.  Here’s an excerpt: The updated EJ policy directs how DEP's inspection, compliance, and enforcement efforts can better include criteria and concerns of Pennsylvania communities most at risk from pollution and other environmental impacts. Furthermore, the policy outlines the ways in which DEP plans to increase outreach across Pennsylvania and build long-lasting relationships with communities impacted by environmental challenges. In 2023, DEP announced an interim final policy and collected feedback from communities throughout Pennsylvania. During the extensive comment period, DEP received over 700 comments - GASP’s included. You can get all that background info right here. “It's exciting to see DEP taking this much-needed step. Communities in Pennsylvania's EJ areas carry so much of the burden of environmental hazards, and I am optimistic that these improvements are a step towards changing that,” GASP Environmental Health Manager Rachel Macias said. “Meaningful progress comes from centering community voices in every stage of decision-making to truly achieve equitable outcomes that improve all aspects of health and wellbeing.” Basically, the updated policy will: continue to place a large emphasis on public participation and proactive conversations among DEP’s EJ staff that have been engaging with communities in designated environmental justice areas, based on 32 environmental, health, and socioeconomic indicators.  help those seeking a permit to better understand community concerns.  allow DEP to be more efficient when receiving public comment, improving permitting processes But wait, there’s more: DEP has also updated PennEnviroScreen , a state-of-the-art mapping tool used to identify EJ areas across Pennsylvania, using the most updated data available and the 2020 Census geographical boundaries. The updated version is more user-friendly and includes clearer visual outlines and short data descriptions. We encourage folks to check it out!