Media Contact: Amanda Gillooly Communications Manager amanda@gasp-pgh.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GASP Investigation Reveals Major Air Quality Permit Backlogs Persist Across Pennsylvania Despite Regulatory Denials A new investigative report finds that despite official assurances, regulators are failing to process crucial Clean Air Act Title V permits within legally mandated timeframes. PITTSBURGH — Today, the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) released a comprehensive investigative report revealing that significant backlogs in processing Title V Operating Permits persist across Pennsylvania. Despite official claims from regulators that backlogs are being successfully managed, GASP’s analysis shows multiple regional offices of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) - and to a lesser extent, the Allegheny County Health Department - continue to experience critical delays. Title V Operating Permits, mandated by the federal Clean Air Act, are vital regulatory tools required for the largest industrial sources of air pollution. These permits compile all applicable federal and state clean air requirements into a single document, making it possible for both regulators and the public to monitor and enforce a facility's compliance with emission limits. The investigation found that while the backlogs have seen moderate improvement over the last several years, progress has stalled—and in several regions, the backlog of permit applications pending for more than the legally allowed 18-month window is actively worsening. “Unfortunately, despite official denials, our investigation shows that major trouble spots remain,” GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie said. “When a Title V permit renewal sits in limbo for years, it severely complicates the public's and the regulators' ability to ensure that facilities are complying with the law.” GASP is calling on the ACHD and the state DEP to immediately address these backlogs. “Recent revisions to the ACHD fee schedule and state administrative procedures must be backed by a renewed, aggressive commitment to clear the permitting logjams once and for all,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. To read the full investigative report here: GASP Investigates: Title V Operating Permit Backlog Persists Despite Official Denials Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit in Southwestern Pennsylvania working for a healthy, sustainable environment. Founded in 1969, GASP has been a diligent watchdog, educator, litigator, and policymaker on many environmental issues, with a focus on air quality in the Pittsburgh region. ###

The fight for clean air is global, but the solutions are intensely local. That’s why GASP attended the Air Sensors International Conference (ASIC) in Los Angeles earlier this month alongside our partners at CREATE Lab and Environmental Health Project (EHP). Organized by the UC Davis Air Quality Research Center, ASIC is the premier global forum where leading scientists, policymakers, industry innovators, and grassroots community advocates gather to discuss the cutting edge of air monitoring technology and data-driven environmental justice. For an organization like GASP—and for communities like ours that bear the brunt of industrial emissions—attending this conference helped us bridge the gap between cutting-edge global science and the real, breathable air in our neighborhoods. Why ASIC Matters to the Air We Breathe Historically, ambient air quality monitoring was the exclusive domain of massive, multi-million-dollar EPA monitoring stations like the ones maintained by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) here locally. While highly accurate, these stations are sometimes few and far between, often missing the distinct hyperlocal pollution events that impact specific valley communities and fence-line neighborhoods. The conversation at ASIC focuses heavily on changing that paradigm through low-cost sensor technology and citizen science - the same tech GASP and our partners are using for our Allegheny County Community Air Monitoring Project. From advanced machine learning algorithms that correct data drift to community-led networks tracking wildfire smoke and industrial toxics, the conference highlighted a powerful truth: When communities have accessible, reliable data, they have power. Key Takeaways from the Conference Improved Calibration: Next-generation low-cost sensors are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using advanced algorithms to account for humidity, temperature, and local weather anomalies. Hyperlocal Mapping: Panelists (like our partners at CREATE Lab and Environmental Health Project) showcased how cities worldwide are using dense sensor networks to identify specific pollution hot spots, driving targeted public health interventions and policy changes. Environmental Justice Data: Activists and scientists are co-creating data frameworks that stand up to regulatory scrutiny, ensuring frontline communities cannot be ignored by local health authorities or industry polluters. Powering Our Allegheny County Community Air Monitoring Project So, how does an international conference in Los Angeles change things on the ground for us? Excellent question! It directly supercharges our current community monitoring initiatives, including our dedicated Allegheny County Community Air Monitoring Project. “My biggest takeaway from ASIC is the central role communities play in air quality work,” GASP Field Technician Julie Stouffer said. “This work relies on the knowledge and experiences of people directly impacted by poor air quality. ASIC reinforced the importance of making air quality data accessible and easy to understand so communities can meaningfully engage and benefit from this work." As we deploy and manage localized monitors, the insights gleaned from ASIC provide a direct blueprint for success: 1. Hardening Our Data to Withstand Scrutiny For community data to drive regulatory action or hold industry accountable, it must be bulletproof. Learning the latest best practices in sensor calibration and placement ensures the data we collect is accurate, verifiable, and capable of standing up to official pushback. 2. Optimizing Our Networks The deployment strategies shared by global peers help us understand best practices for how we position monitors for maximum community impact. This ensures we are capturing the true, real-time exposure of residents rather than relying on delayed regional averages. 3. Scaling Citizen Science A monitor is only as effective as the community utilizing it. GASP is taking the community-engagement models highlighted at ASIC and applying them locally. The Road Ahead As we know all too well here in Allegheny County: Clean air isn't given - it is fought for and defended. The data we collect through our monitor projects will continue to shine a light on local air quality challenges, giving all of us the tools we need to demand transparency, support enforcement, and protect the health of our families.

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth of a four-part series examining the years-long fight to get U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility in North Braddock in compliance with a host of air quality rules and regulations. In chapter one, GASP explored the spate of emissions violations and compliance struggles that led to a joint enforcement action from EPA and ACHD in 2017 and ultimately a controversial settlement decree. In chapter two, we analyzed the terms of the consent decree, while chapter three focused on whether or not U.S. Steel met the requirements of those terms. In this final chapter, we talk about what's next and why we need YOU. For many of the aspects of the consent decree - like BOP Shop recommended improvements and installation of the Riley Boilers - we have to wait, and GASP will be making subsequent public records requests for those semiannual reports to determine where in the process U.S. Steel is - and what additional documents that we will need to obtain. That process will be ongoing. For those asking, “Hey, what ever happened with that Turtle Creek Connection trail that received $750,000 in consent decree fine money?” we don’t have much new news there, either, unfortunately. The project website states simply, “This project is currently in the design and engineering phase.” What We DO Know Our investigation into the Edgar Thomson Works consent decree showed something somewhat shocking: That U.S. Steel is capable of meeting the requirements of an air quality-related consent decree. For example: GASP’s public records requests reveal there were no demands for stipulated penalties associated with the decree since the deal was inked. Not one. By contrast, ACHD issued demands for stipulated penalties to U.S. Steel every single quarter for the entirety of the five years the company was under the terms of a controversial 2019 consent decree designed to get the Clairton Coke Works into compliance with air quality rules following a high-profile 2018 Christmas Eve fire that knocked out key emissions-control equipment for 100 days. So what now? We stay vigilant. GASP’s watchdog work will not stop while we’re waiting for the myriad reports, updates, studies and details to emerge. Why? Under the current consent decree, U.S. Steel is required to follow "short-term and intermediate recommendations" to reduce emissions for various operations. But how do we know if these work practices and equipment tweaks are actually doing what they were intended to? The answer is community eyes. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) employs inspectors, but the reality is simple: they cannot be everywhere at once. That’s why GASP is increasing its watchdog efforts at Edgar Thomson and we’re looking for volunteers to help join our ET Watch Team to provide the consistent, high-quality observations needed to hold U.S. Steel accountable. Join the Team We are looking for residents who live near the Edgar Thomson facility to join us. You know your neighborhood best. You know when the air feels heavy and when the stench is at its peak. GASP will provide the tools residents need to: ● Understand visual emissions coming from the Edgar Thomson facility ● Make effective air quality reports to Allegheny County Health Department ● Engage with policymakers Ready to take the next step? “We cannot wait for U.S. Steel to self-report every slip-up. If we want the air in the Mon Valley to improve, we must be the ones working to make it happen,” Campbell added. Interested? Fill out our quick form here.

Editor’s Note: This is the third of a four-part series examining the years-long fight to get U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility in North Braddock in compliance with a host of air quality rules and regulations. In part one, GASP explored the spate of emissions violations and compliance struggles that led to a joint enforcement action from EPA and ACHD in 2017 and ultimately a controversial settlement decree. Before we get too far into the weeds about consent-decree related maintenance, equipment and operational changes at U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works, we think it’s important we all have a baseline understanding of how the facility runs. Here’s the short version: U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works is what is known as an integrated steel-making operation. That means U.S. Steel starts with raw materials – iron ore, coal, etc. – and produces finished steel. The Edgar Thomson facility makes molten iron (or pig iron) in its blast furnaces using coke from Clairton, iron ore, and other materials. Within the blast furnace casthouses, the furnaces are tapped and the pig iron is collected in rail cars (called torpedo cars) for transfer. A molten sulfurous metallic waste product of the blast furnace is slag, which is diverted into open pits to cool before processing. The facility turns iron into steel by way of the basic oxygen process (BOP) in a part of the mill aptly named the BOP shop. Molten steel is poured into a continuous caster that creates steel slabs, which are then shipped by rail to the Irvin Works for finishing. GASP staff put together these visuals of the facility so you can reference it as we proceed: The actions the consent decree required U.S. Steel to take generally fall into four broad categories, with specific deadlines set for each action item: record-keeping and reporting, emissions reductions from specific processes, enhanced emissions monitoring, and enhanced equipment maintenance. Now for the big question: Has U.S. Steel met the obligations set forth in the deal? Let’s get into the nitty gritty… What About Those Record-keeping and Reporting Requirements After a review of the documents obtained from ACHD through a public records request, GASP can report that yes, so far U.S. Steel has met the deadlines associated with its semi-annual and other required reports. The semi-annual reports have been submitted on or before the Feb. 28 and June 30 deadlines set forth in the agreement. These reports chronicle U.S. Steel’s deliverables for EPA and ACHD and provides a solid timeline for the various projects - many of which are YEARS in the making. There is a plethora of information in these reports - here’s the last one U.S. Steel submitted to give an idea of its contents and format: You can read all the semiannual reports below. GASP intends to make a public records request for subsequent reports required by the decree. Semiannual Reports What About Those Training Requirements? Documents show that U.S. Steel began developing the required training material in the first half of 2023 and that training of “appropriate personnel” was completed by year’s end. According to U.S. Steel’s February 2024 semi-annual report, 314 employees were provided this training. “Topics will include discussion of applicable requirements, potential emissions sources, and activities and available tools to address those sources and activities,” the company wrote in its August 2024 semi-annual report. About The Required H2S Suppression System Feb. 14, 2023: U.S. Steel completed the installation of a temporary system for the feeding of hydrogen peroxide into the slag pit quench water spray system. May 15, 2023: U.S. Steel submitted to EPA for approval a proposed written procedure for its system for feeding hydrogen peroxide into the slag pit quench water spray system. Sept. 7, 2023: The permanent system was completed. July 10, 2025: EPA approves U.S. Steel’s proposed written procedure. “The installation of the permanent system for feeding of hydrogen peroxide into the Slag Pit quench water spray system is complete and in operation,” U.S. Steel said in its latest semi-annual report submitted to regulators on Jan. 30, 2026. About The Blast Furnace Casthouse Emissions Control System Here are the key dates associated with the Blast Furnace Casthouse Emissions Control Systems: Jan. 16, 2023: U.S. Steel submitted its casthouse baghouse system study plan to ACHD and EPA. March 6, 2023: U.S. Steel re-submitted its casthouse baghouse system study plan per an ACHD request for clarification. April 18, 2023: EPA provides U.S. Steel written approval of the casthouse baghouse study plan after consultation with ACHD. Oct. 23, 2023: U.S. Steel submitted its Blast Furnace Casthouse Emissions Control System evaluation report - along with its recommendations and responses - for approval. July 10, 2025: EPA approved the company’s Blast Furnace Casthouse Emissions Control System Evaluation Report along with U. S. Steel’s Recommendation and Response Summary. “Implementation of the Short-term Recommendations has begun,” U.S. Steel told regulators in its Jan. 30, 2026, semi-annual report. “It is important to note that while we continue to implement the short-term recommendations and required visible emissions monitoring for the blast furnace casthouse, no deviations from the applicable opacity standards at the blast furnace casthouse have been observed during the reporting period.” You can read the entire casthouse baghouse system study here - and we recommend you take a gander. It includes robust - albeit extremely technical and engineering-heavy - information and visuals. But here are two main takeaways: #1: The evaluation showed that U. S. Steel was able to satisfactorily maintain compliance with all applicable air quality regulations. The existing casthouse baghouse system and trough hoods are generally effective at capturing emissions from the taphole and iron trough. #2 Visible Emissions Observations (VEOs) indicated that casting operations on the casthouse floor, outside of the existing baghouse control area (such as the iron runner, spouts, and ladle car transfer areas), have a greater impact on opacity at the casthouse roof monitor than the taphole/trough area. However, deficiencies in the casthouse baghouse system were identified and a slate of recommendations for remedying them were issued. Here are the short-term recommendations, which the contractor noted are primarily for optimization and will not significantly change VEOs at the roof monitor. They include: Eliminate ingress air by increasing the inspection regime and conducting maintenance/repairs to the ductwork and access ports. Update damper logic to better distribute flow between the two casthouses Increase I.D. fan speed. Optimize flame suppression system by increasing lance size/gas flow and conducting a study for a dedicated gas line. Improve torpedo ladle car positioning through better training/communication and a study on the viability of an automated system. Here are the intermediate-term recommendations that focused on optimizing the existing system and minimizing VEOs. They include: Installation of a dedicated gas line to each casthouse from the compressor station based on the short-term study. Automation of the torpedo ladle car positioning based on the short-term study. Improve air curtain operation by implementing modifications to reposition or enhance air flow. The redesign and replacement of the fan inlet plenum if extensive repairs are necessary. However, it’s the long-term recommendations that most piqued our interest here at GASP. The report stresses that these recommendations would be implemented, “If, after all short- and intermediate-term improvements, USS is still unable to maintain compliance, four long-term options were evaluated for controlling casthouse floor emissions. These would require a new or significantly expanded baghouse system.” About the Bop Shop Roof Ventilation & Scrubber Systems Here are the key dates associated with those systems: Jan. 16, 2023 - U.S. Steel began its pre-study visible emissions observations for Edgar Thomson’s blast furnace casthouses and BOB Shop emissions modules (for its roof monitors and scrubber stacks). Feb. 14, 2023 - U.S. Steel submitted study plans to ACHD and EPA for its BOP Shop Roof Ventilation and BOP Shop Scrubber. Oct. 25, 2023 - U.S. Steel self-reported in an annual report an instance of noncompliance with VEO observations. The report stated, “Due to a misunderstanding and training miscommunication, the contractor VEO reader failed to continue conducting Method 9 observations when a deviation from an applicable opacity was observed…The contractor has since been retrained on the requirements of taking observations in accordance with the consent decree.” April 5, 2024 - U.S. Steel experiences a deviation of its opacity standards during its VEO observations. The company noted there was a maximum opacity of 25 percent was experienced from Blast Furnace 1 during a 60-minute period. In an annual report the company provided this explanation, “There was high moisture in the trough due to heavy rainfall. The employees were retrained on reducing moisture in the trough during heavy rainfall.” July 10, 2025: EPA approved the BOP Shop Roof Ventilation and Scrubber System Study plans. Nov. 7, 2026: The BOP Shop Roof Ventilation and Scrubber System Study plans were completed by Hatch. U.S. Steel’s Jan. 30, 2026 semi-annual report indicated those reports - along with the results of the studies - would be submitted by Feb. 5, 2026. The study plans can be read in full here. About the SO2 CEMS Monitoring Plan for Edgar Thomson’s Riley Boilers March 14, 2023 - U.S. Steel submitted its SO2 CEMS monitoring plan for Edgar Thomson’s Riley Boilers to DEP and was working with the department on requested revisions. April 4, 2023 - DEP approved U.S. Steel’s SO2 CEMS Monitoring Plan for Edgar Thomson’s Riley Boilers. July 4, 2023 - U.S. Steel completes phase 2 testing for its SO2 CEMS Monitoring Plan for ET’s Rile Boilers and sends a report to DEP verifying compliance with all regulatory requirements. Aug. 23, 2023 - DEP approves the certification of U.S. Steel’s test results for its SO2 CEMS Monitoring Plan for ET’s Riley Boilers. Meanwhile, the company noted in an annual report that it was working to submit sample reports to the department for approval of phase 3. April 4, 2024: DEP approved the SO2CEMS Monitoring Plan for ET’s Riley Boilers. July 4, 2024: U.S. Steel completed Phase 2 testing. Aug. 23, 2024: DEP approved U.S. Steel’s certification results for the monitoring system. Oct. 4, 2024: U.S. Steel submitted Phase 3 sample reports. DEP also approved the CEMS certification. “All retroactive reports were submitted to EPA and DEP and approved on December 19, 2024. All reports required by EPA and DEP have been submitted as required,” according to U.S. Steel’s Jan. 30, 2026, semi-annual report. Documents GASP obtained through a public records request provided no additional details about the status of phase 3. GASP submitted a subsequent request for additional documentation and will provide an update when further information is available. What About Those Enhanced Monitoring Requirements? Our documents review revealed that U.S. Steel appears to have fulfilled the requirements related to the installation and maintenance of the seven video cameras to monitor problematic sources of visible emissions (reminder that those include the blast furnace stove stacks, casthouse roof monitors and baghouse, BOP shop roof monitor and scrubber stacks, and two staging areas for torpedo cars). U.S. Steel’s Aug. 30, 2023, semi-annual report indicates that the cameras were installed by the June 14, 2023. deadline. Incorporation of these cameras into the facility's procedures and operator training was completed as expected by Oct. 12, 2023, according to the company’s Feb. 27, 2024, report. What About the Maintenance Audit? Aug. 14, 2023: U.S. Steel completed and submitted the Maintenance Audit. July 10, 2025: EPA approved the Maintenance Audit. You can read the Maintenance Audit here. Happening In the Meantime When it comes to air quality issues, nothing happens in a vacuum. As U.S. Steel and regulators worked their way through the conditions set in the consent decree, it’s important to note that a lot was happening in the background regarding Edgar Thomson and emissions issues there. For one, ACHD published a revised Title V operating permit the Edgar Thomson facility Aug. 23, 2024, which kicked off a 30-day public comment period. This was necessary because both the EPA and U.S. Steel appealed the initial permit, which led to changes subsequent enough that it required a second public comment period to allow stakeholders to address them. Why is that important? It’s important because some of the Title V limits that U.S. Steel appealed also impact the deliverables for the consent decree. Second, it’s crucial to note that the consent decree did not stop U.S. Steel from racking up air quality violations. In August 2024, for example, ACHD issued an enforcement order to U.S. Steel for emissions violations related to carbon monoxide and assessed a $12,300 civil penalty. ACHD noted that the Edgar Thomson plant was exceeding both the hourly limits for carbon monoxide emissions and its annual limit. According to the enforcement order: “The short-term hourly emission limitation…for CO is 2,575.44 lb./hr. On January 25, 2024, ET performed compliance testing on the BOP Primary Collection Scrubber System. On March 28, 2024, ET submitted the compliance test report. The three runs showed 4,599 lb./hr., 2,714 lb./hr. and 2,723 lb./hr. per hour. The average test results for the BOP Primary Collection Scrubber System were 3,346 lb./hr., exceeding the permit limit of 2,575.44 lb./hr.” It also didn’t stop high-profile equipment breakdowns. On Feb. 23, 2025, U.S. Steel experienced a breakdown at the Edgar Thomson facility that resulted in damage to the building. Two days later, ACHD issued a press release relating to the weekend breakdown, providing this information from U.S. Steel: US Steel has tarped the hole until a permanent repair can be made and slowed down production. For more information regarding issues within the Edgar Thomson facility reach out to U.S. Steel. The required pollution monitors were not damaged by this issue. The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) will continue to investigate the breakdown. That same day - Feb. 25, 2025 - GASP staff contacted ACHD’s public information officer to inquire whether the breakdown could be related to sky-high concentrations of hydrogen suffice (H2S) that exceeded the state standard during the same time period. ACHD responded immediately via email, stating: “The cause of the H2S values are under investigation and we cannot provide any further comments at this time.” In a subsequent email sent the same afternoon, ACHD announced sulfur dioxide exceedances at the Braddock air monitoring site near the Edgar Thomson facility. The consent decree with regulators wasn’t the only legal action related to Edgar Thomson: U.S. Steel also settled a class-action lawsuit filed in 2022 regarding dust and other noxious emissions from its Edgar Thomson facility in North Braddock, agreeing to pay a $6.1 million civil penalty. Of that money: $1.5 million will be paid out to those who opted into the legal action. $2.25 million was earmarked for the construction of two-wheel wash stations to clean vehicles exiting the facility. $1.6 million was designated for paving the onsite street informally known as Burma Road $740,000 would be used to purchase to street sweepers for use at - and in the vicinity of - the Edgar Thomson facility Finally, U.S. Steel in September 2025 announced it approved its next phase of capital investment plans, which included the construction of a $100 million slag recycling facility at the Edgar Thomson Works. While the company took a public relations lap lauding the investment, we feel it necessary to point out that the consent decree required U.S. Steel to reduce emissions from its slag pit operations. Next up: Chapter 4, where we explore what's next and why we need YOU.

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a four-part series examining the years-long fight to get U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility in North Braddock in compliance with a host of air quality rules and regulations. In part one, GASP explored the spate of emissions violations and compliance struggles that led to a joint enforcement action from EPA and ACHD in 2017 and ultimately a controversial settlement decree. Part one can be read here. After YEARS of radio silence from air quality regulators - and amid mounting public pressure from GASP for action and transparency - the Mon Valley was rocked by the May 2022 announcement that local and federal authorities had reached a deal with U.S. Steel regarding ongoing emissions violations at the Edgar Thomson Works. Six months later, a federal district court judge approved the long-awaited consent decree, which imposed a $1.5 million fine on U.S. Steel and mandated a slate of improvements at the North Braddock facility. The goal? To ensure Edgar Thomson got into - and maintained - compliance with all applicable air quality laws and regulations. About That Fine Half the fine - $750,000 - was funneled to the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development, which ACHD has approved to manage a fund to bankroll community environmental projects. The other half of the fine was earmarked to fund “the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development in support of the creation of a multimodal connection that links the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) in Rankin Borough to the Westmoreland Heritage Trail (WHT) in Trafford Borough through the Turtle Creek Valley.” More on that here. The actions mandated by the consent decree can be sorted into three broad categories: emissions reductions from specific processes, enhanced emissions monitoring, and enhanced equipment maintenance complete with stringent deadlines and robust reporting requirements for U.S. Steel. Emissions Reduction Mandates First, let’s talk emissions reductions: U.S. Steel was required to begin “feeding an oxidizing chemical additive or additives . . . into the slag pit quench water spray system, to enhance suppression of H2S emissions.” The company was also required to submit to the EPA and ACHD written procedures detailing how it will continue to reduce emissions from slag pit operations. U.S. Steel was also ordered to obtain an independent engineering evaluation to identify potential emissions reductions from the blast furnaces’ casthouse baghouse system, the BOP shop roof ventilation, and the BOP shop scrubber system. Independent third-party contractors were hired to conduct studies of all three systems. And for all three studies, those contractors were required to submit detailed plans for conducting those studies - and EPA and ACHD were required to approve all of it. Monitoring Requirements Next, let’s talk about what the consent decree required by way of monitoring. First, U.S. Steel was required to permanently install and maintain no fewer than seven video cameras aimed at problematic sources of visible emissions including the blast furnace stove stacks, casthouse roof monitors and baghouse, BOP shop roof monitor and scrubber stacks, and two staging areas for torpedo cars. It bears noting: The decree states this equipment will be used to keep a better eye on potential emissions sources so U.S. Steel can take “corrective actions to minimize or eliminate any such emissions as expeditiously as possible.” They may NOT be used to determine compliance. In addition to the camera system, U.S. Steel also needed to hire a third-party observer – trained and certified in accordance with EPA Method 9 – to begin conducting visible emissions readings covering the casthouse roof monitors, BOP shop roof monitor, and BOP shop scrubber stacks twice a week when the equipment was operating. However, the decree requires Method 9 inspection frequency to increase to four days per week. But that extra monitoring has an end date: It will end after four consecutive months of 100 percent compliance or 12 months from the start of the more frequent inspections (whichever is sooner). These monitoring requirements are coupled with various reporting deadlines, as well. Finally, the agreement required U.S. Steel submit a monitoring plan to install a continuous SO2 monitor for Edgar Thomson’s Riley boilers. For the uninitiated: These boilers burn blast furnace gas, coke oven gas, and natural gas to generate steam, heat, and electricity for the plant. Facility Maintenance Upgrades Next up: Let’s talk about what the consent decree had to say about facility maintenance. First, it required U.S. Steel to hire a third-party contractor to conduct a maintenance practices audit analyzing control operations and maintenance practices for the casthouse baghouse, the BOP shop fugitive emissions baghouse, the BOP shop mixer baghouse, the BOP shop LMF baghouse, the BOP shop primary emissions system/BOP shop scrubber, and the slag pits. The report was to detail: audit findings, including the basis for each finding and each area of concern related to the adequacy of Edgar Thomson’s operations and maintenance plan for ensuring current and continued future functioning of emissions controls and compliance with applicable emission limitations information about whether requirements, targets, objectives, or other benchmarks are being achieved; whether there are examples of noncompliance with the operations and maintenance plan; and “recommendations for resolving areas of concern or otherwise achieving compliance with the operations and maintenance.” After receiving the auditor’s report, U.S. Steel was required to submit that information to the EPA and ACHD along with a proposal for implementing recommendations. But the audits don’t stop there: In addition to the third-party audit, the agreement requires U.S. Steel to undergo self-audits every 12 months and submit for approval plans to EPA and ACHD detailing everything from obstacles encountered to the adequacy of the operations and maintenance plan to whether required objectives and benchmarks are being met. Reporting Requirements Last but not least, the consent decree requires U.S. Steel to submit to EPA and ACHD semi-annual reports detailing everything from the progress made on required upgrades and training to problems encountered and changes made to the facility’s operations or maintenance plans. Those reports must be submitted by Feb. 28 and Aug. 31 each year. Did U.S. Steel meet the deadlines set forth in the consent decree? What operational and maintenance changes have been made since the 2022 agreement was inked? What has the fine money funded and what’s the status of that multi-modal trail collection? We explore this and more in the third installment in our series, which you can read here.

Image from 2023 Blast Furnace Casthouse Emissions Control System Evaluation Report When discussing major air polluters in Allegheny County, U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works (composed of the Clairton Coke Works, Irvin Works and Edgar Thomson facilities) is among the first to come to mind. And for good reason: The Clairton Coke Works has been in the news for perennially polluting air in the Mon Valley and beyond for YEARS, with mounting enforcement actions issued by the Allegheny County Health Department for everything from hydrogen sulfide exceedances to pushing violations. But Edgar Thomson’s impact on Mon Valley ambient air quality cannot (and should not) be ignored. Operations at the facility have largely gone under the radar since a high-profile 2022 consent decree reached by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), EPA, ACHD, and U.S. Steel that addressed waning compliance. Until now. As part of our watchdog work, GASP staff researched the history of Edgar Thomson’s air quality violations, revisited the terms of the consent decree, and made public records requests to help shed light on what required operational, equipment and maintenance changes have been made, what’s still in the works, and what’s still up in the air. The four-part series you are about to read is months in the making and includes information gleaned from online research and scores of documents obtained through the Right to Know process. While the high-profile settlement agreement was finalized in December 2022, the story of Edgar Thomson’s descent into noncompliance with air quality rules began years earlier. So, we need to rewind all the way back to 2016: Donald Trump had just been elected to his first term as President of the United States. Brexit was making international headlines, and right here in Pittsburgh, the Edgar Thomson Works came out of the gates that year with a spate of air quality violations that spanned the entire year. U.S. Steel racked up enforcement actions for everything from violating opacity limits to blowing past fugitive emissions standards. Here’s a look at one of those enforcement actions: After an employee complaint spurred an OSHA investigation, U.S. Steel was also fined $170,000 for how it handled asbestos abatement at Edgar Thomson. From the OSHA report: That pattern of noncompliance continued into the new year, with ACHD issuing the first of many notices of violation to U.S. Steel just four days into 2017. The issue? Inspectors noted visual emissions opacity violations at the facility - an issue U.S. Steel would be dinged for again in February. Air quality troubles continued for the company in April of 2017, ACHD deemed U.S. Steel’s annual certificate of compliance for 2016 as non-compliant. Not only did U.S. Steel got tagged with three more notices of violation for visible emissions violations and for violating other terms of its Title V operating permit. The problem regulators flagged? For one, that U.S. Steel failed to properly maintain and repair inoperable rotary valves necessary for the proper operation of Edgar Thomson’s air pollution control equipment on both Feb. 4 and Feb. 17, 2017. U.S. Steel continued to rack up enforcement actions for violating local air quality rules as well as the terms of its Title V - with ACHD noting two such infractions in May, six more in June, and another two in July. This flurry of activity culminated with a Nov. 17, 2017 announcement that made headlines here in Pittsburgh and beyond: That EPA and ACHD had issued a joint notice of violation against U.S. Steel for myriad violations related to blast furnace and BOP Shop operations – among other things – at Edgar Thomson from 2016 through July 2017. An ACHD press release regarding the NOV explained, “The nature of the violations includes excessive visible emissions, failure to maintain equipment and failure to certify compliance with the plant’s Title V operating permit.” Via open records requests, GASP determined that 2015 and 2017 site inspections showed several blast furnace equipment deficiencies. You can view six examples here. As for EPA’s role, ACHD explained: “To enhance the Health Department’s enforcement efforts, ACHD has actively engaged the EPA over the course of the last nine months. The EPA brings an expanded level of federal expertise, as well as additional enforcement capacity that will support stronger action by utilizing the Department of Justice and EPA’s capacity to enact more stringent penalties.” What happened next? A bunch of silence from regulators - for YEARS - even as U.S. Steel continued to buck air quality rules and violate the terms of Edgar Thomson’s operating permit. Now, let’s fast forward to 2020 - when GASP began demanding an update from regulators about the status of that 2017 enforcement order and what exactly they were doing to force U.S. Steel to FINALLY bring Edgar Thomson into compliance with air quality rules following myriad pollution episodes at the facility. For example: U.S. Steel on March 26, 2020, made a report to the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center (NRC) at 9:11 p.m. concerning a release into the open air of approximately 100 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. CREATE Lab/Breathe Project - BreatheCam.org Then, on June 17, 2020, GASP flagged a dark brown plume emanating from the Edgar Thomson Works and demanded information from the company and ACHD. On June 25, 2020, ACHD announced a sulfur dioxide (SO2) exceedance at the North Braddock air monitoring station that occurred that day. It also announced the brown plume emanating from the Edgar Thomson Works June 17 was the fault of a valve failure at the plant. In early August, GASP announced the launch of a petition demanding EPA and ACHD to provide a formal update - noting four years of radio silence from the regulators. Despite those pleas, regulators stayed mum, all while Edgar Thomson’s history of fouling the Mon Valley’s air continued. In January of 2021, ACHD issued an enforcement order against U.S. Steel for a failed stack test at Edgar Thomson and assessed an $8,000 civil penalty. Remember that report U.S. Steel made regarding that release of 100 pounds of anhydrous ammonia? ACHD issued an enforcement order against U.S. Steel for failing to report that breakdown in a timely manner as required by its Title V operating permit in February 2021. A $4,165 civil penalty was assessed. Then in August 2021, there was another high-profile air pollution incident at the facility. In an interview with WESA, then-Executive Director Rachel Filippini said: “This lack of transparency… is very frustrating for people that have to live with the brunt of this pollution day in and day out. People deserve to have answers, they deserve to know what caused it and how it will be addressed. And ultimately, how can they know that it’s not going to happen again?” GASP’s and others’ calls for transparency continued through 2021 and 2022 via public comments to the board of health, conversations with ACHD, social media posts, and rallies. Then came the big news May 17, 2022: A deal had been reached. U.S. Steel had agreed to pay a $1.5 million penalty and make extensive improvements at its Edgar Thomson facility in Braddock Borough as part of a consent decree announced with EPA and ACHD to settle those longstanding air pollution violations. Here’s what a release issued by the EPA said: "Everyone has the right to clean air, and the Allegheny County Health Department continues to work to ensure that right for all residents,” said ACHD Director Dr. Debra Bogen, Director of the Allegheny County Health Department. “This settlement is another step toward that goal in Braddock and surrounding communities, many of which are designated environmental justice communities. We are pleased that a large portion of the Health Department’s share of the civil penalty will directly benefit Braddock and other Mon Valley communities that experience a disproportionate share of the environmental impact of the pollution this consent decree concerns." The settlement mandated U.S. Steel make numerous improvements in training, monitoring and work practices to increase compliance and timely response to air pollution. Additionally, the company was tasked with conducting studies on potential improvements to its pollution control systems. The settlement also includes a supplemental environmental project solely credited against ACHD’s share of the penalty in which U.S. Steel would provide funding to the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development for a specific environmental project. Specifically, U.S. Steel will provide $750,000 in funding to the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development in support of the creation of a multimodal connection trail for hikers and bicyclists that links the Great Allegheny Passage in Rankin Borough to the Westmoreland Heritage Trail in Trafford Borough through the Turtle Creek Valley. The project’s aim was to create another multimodal connection to communities near U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Works, including Rankin, Braddock, North Braddock, East Pittsburgh, Turtle Creek, Wilmerding, Monroeville, Pitcairn, and Trafford, North Versailles, East McKeesport and Wall. The then-draft settlement was subject to a public comment period. Despite robust comments submitted by residents and nonprofits like GASP, the deal was finalized Dec. 16, 2022, with zero changes made, reflecting that ACHD and EPA declined to implement any input gleaned from that process. What exactly did the consent decree mandate? GASP will explore that and more in Chapter 2.

U.S. Steel has contested citations issued by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stemming from the deadly August 2025 explosion at the Clairton Coke Works. The OSHA website shows the company has contested all 10 of the violations - nine of which were related to subpar safety procedures and employee training, and one was for failing to provide the agency with required reports as required. U.S. Steel was fined $118,000 for those violations. One of U.S. Steel’s contractors - MPW Industrial Services - was cited nine times in relation to the explosion and fined $68,000. The OSHA website shows MPW also contested those violations. We continue to follow this issue closely. For more information on the explosion, visit GASP’s resource page here. Editor’s Note: The OSHA website also shows OSHA again inspected the Clairton Coke Works on April 8 based on a complaint made to the agency. It is still listed as open. Here’s what we know:

We wanted to issue a HUGE SHOUT OUT to all the folks who joined us on our walk-and-talk with Allegheny Land Trust last week at Churchill Valley Greenway. It's spring in Pittsburgh - this time of year, you never know what you’re gonna get. Could be blue skies and sunshine, could be gray and drizzly. This time around, we got the latter. Extra special thanks to Sara Klingensmith at ALT for all her help co-leading the walk! Despite a little rain and overcast skies, yinz were all great sports! Until the next one!

Gov. Josh Shapiro this week announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was seeking final court approval of a consent decree that will allow two generating stations in the Commonwealth to reopen and operate through 2032.   The Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations are both coal-fired power plants having the same operator. Keystone is in Armstrong County and Conemaugh is in Indiana County. Both plants had been slated to close at the end of 2028, when compliance with stricter federal wastewater and coal ash disposal regulations that were promulgated in 2015 would have become mandatory. When it made the decision to close the plants in 2021, the plants’ operator determined it was too expensive to comply with those regulations. Increased demand for electricity brought on by data centers has changed the analysis that led to the decision to close the plants.   Also playing into the plants’ decision to reopen: a still-proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would allow DEP - as the Clean Water Act permitting authority for the plants - to extend the deadline for the plants to comply with the 2015 federal wastewater and coal ash disposal regulations, provided that DEP finds an “unexpected” change in electricity prices or a surge in demand for electricity has occurred. Nothing in the Consent Decree purported to alter the plants’ obligations under the air pollution laws and regulations, so, presumably, the plants will operate pursuant to their existing Title V Operating Permits (which you can access here and here).  Although both plants’ Title V Operating Permits have expired, the plants may still operate under them because the plant operator submitted timely renewal applications (which DEP has not acted on). “Although the reopening of the plants might help ease the strain on the electric grid, it will be bad for air pollution in areas downwind from the plants,” said GASP Senior Attorney John Baillie. “For 2024, the Conemaugh plant reported 1,508 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions and 1,234 tons of oxides of nitrogen emissions, and the Keystone plant reported 7,322 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions and 1,112 tons of oxides of nitrogen emissions.”   More information regarding those emissions is available here.