There’s been yet another equipment breakdown at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works facility, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) announced in a press release Thursday. Here’s what the release said: According to the release, ACHD received a call from U.S. Steel regarding a breakdown of pollution control equipment at Clairton Coke Works. A breakdown happens when equipment isn't working properly and releases more pollution than normal. This can happen when equipment fails, during power outages, or other unexpected problems happen. Our initial understanding is that Control Room 2 went offline due to a breakdown beginning on January 27 at approximately 8:05 pm. As a result, Control Rooms 2 and 5 were not processing coke oven gas and the partially processed coke oven gas was combusted at the facility. The outage lasted until January 28 at approximately 8:20 pm. At this time, equipment is back online. ACHD monitors recorded elevated readings of H2S, SO2, and PM2.5 at the Liberty monitor site on the morning of January 28. The highest readings were between 6 and 9 am when there were light winds from the southwest and a weak temperature inversion which can trap pollutants to the surface. The elevated readings were not high enough to cause a 1-hour or 24-hour exceedance of any air quality standard. During this event, Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) levels elevated at ACHD monitors in the surrounding areas. H2S is a colorless gas with a strong "rotten egg" odor. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), short-term exposure at high concentration levels (over 2 ppm) can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, eye or throat irritation, and respiratory discomfort, particularly for individuals with asthma or other underlying lung conditions. The highest hourly concentration recorded was 0.019 ppm. Currently, ACHD has limited information regarding the cause of the breakdown but has requested more information and has inspectors onsite inspecting coking operations. U.S. Steel is required to submit a breakdown report within seven days. There is also an additional 30-day reporting requirement. Currently there is no indication of a long-term health emergency; however, ACHD will continue to closely monitor air quality in and around Liberty, Clairton, and North Braddock. Residents in the affected area who experience prolonged and intense symptoms are encouraged to seek medical care. The public is also encouraged to use the Air Quality Dashboard  and the Hydrogen Sulfide Dashboard  for hourly updates. ACHD indicated that it will continue to investigate the breakdown and provide information to the public as it becomes available. GASP thanks ACHD for the public disclosure. We will keep you posted as more information becomes available.

Trump’s EPA on Thursday announced the revocation of what’s known as the 2009 Endangerment Finding - one that resulted in greenhouse gas emissions regulations for motor vehicles and engines.   The Endangerment Finding is the legal prerequisite EPA used to regulate emissions from new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines. Without the Endangerment Finding, the EPA would not have legal authority under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to set standards for greenhouse gas emissions.   Without this finding, EPA loses its statutory authority to address the very real and accelerating threat of climate-altering pollution not just from our vehicles, but from all sources. Like so many decisions from this regime, the rationale for this move seems to be based on how industry will benefit from this repeal – how it will supposedly save money and increase "consumer choice." By contrast, the proposal was absurdly light on any details about the devastating impact it will have on the environment and, more importantly, on human health. It’s clear the EPA has lost its way. The EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. Yet the systematic rollback of regulations like the endangerment finding and the willful disregard for scientific evidence, represents a truly dark age for this agency. We are witnessing an abandonment of the EPA’s core purpose, a betrayal of the public trust, and a dangerous gamble with the health and well-being of current and future generations. Local leadership is crucial now.   GASP urges our municipal, city, county, and state policymakers to continue to treat climate change as the very real threat to public health that it is and to continue to act accordingly though prioritizing electrification of municipal fleets and finalizing and acting on climate change plans. Pretending the threat does not exist is simply not an option.

Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. Longstanding emissions and maintenance issues led to Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) to issue more than $276,000 in fines against Braddock-based Magnus Products. Little bit of background: Magnus Products owns and operates a facility that receives by-products from U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility, including furnace flue dust, slag and sludge, mill scale, and coke fines and forms the moist mix into briquettes.  Those finished briquettes are piled onsite with a radial stacker and then loaded onto railcars and sent back to Edgar Thomson to be used in the blast furnaces.  Emissions from the rotary kiln - the piece of equipment at the center of the enforcement action - are controlled by a cyclone and a fabric filter. Got it? Good - now let’s get back to that enforcement order, issued by ACHD on Nov. 10, 2025, but only recently uploaded to the department’s docket. In addition to missing deadlines associated with the submission of required annual and semi-annual reports, ACHD said the company exceeded myriad emissions limits - some by more than 1,900 percent.  The enforcement order also alleges that Magnus failed to consistently operate its cement silo bin filter with good air pollution control practice resulting in excess emissions.  “Magnus operated the rotary kiln without a complaint stack test in violation of permitted limits resulting in excess emissions of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter for 22 months,” the document reads. Here's an excerpt: ACHD representatives observed multiple chains with no chain guards.  ACHD representatives observed excessive amounts of cement accumulation on the top of the cement silo bin filter. ACHD representatives also observed cement accumulation on the cement silo hand railings, cement silo walkway, and the wall of the adjacent building (see Appendix A).  ACHD representatives requested that Magnus representatives open the cement silo bin filter door so ACHD could inspect the individual bags in the cement silo bin filter. Magnus representatives could not initially open the door because cement had accumulated around the door and door frame. Magnus utilized tools to remove cement accumulation to open the door for inspection. During the inspection, ACHD representatives found a bag was defective, and a Magnus maintenance worker confirmed the bag was defective.   ACHD representatives then requested to review the Magnus cement silo inspection records. ACHD representatives reviewed the cement silo inspection records for March 2025, through April 9, 2025. Inspection records indicated "ok" for each inspection. ACHD representatives informed Magnus that, due to the identification of a defective bag in the cement -6- silo bin filter and amount of cement deposition in the area, it was ACHD's belief that the cement silo was not inspected with any routine frequency and the records indicating compliance were  not valid.   You can read the entire enforcement order here. Meanwhile, court documents reveal that U.S. Steel ended its relationship with Magnus in October 2025 and filed suit against the company two months later, accusing it of breach of contract.

Editor’s Note: The Allegheny County Health Department periodically updates its website to include documents related to air quality enforcement actions. As part of our watchdog work, GASP monitors this webpage and reports on the air quality violations posted there. New documents uploaded this week to the Allegheny County Health Department’s website show that U.S. Steel was issued more than $359,000 in stipulated penalties for air quality violations that occurred at its Clairton Coke Works facility. The demands - issued  Oct. 17, 2025   and Dec. 18, 2025  - called for U.S. Steel to pay $271,775 and $85,775, respectively, and cover violations made in the first and second quarters of 2024 (yes, the violations are from 2024 - and yes, they are the latest such penalties). The documents show that the lion share of the penalties were for pushing and charging violations. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time U.S. Steel has been tagged for pushing violations, specifically: ACHD in 2024 issued $2 million in penalties against the company for hundreds of uncontrolled pushes.  That issue - like so many others related to U.S. Steel enforcement actions - is still winding its way through the appeals process. GASP continues to follow enforcement issues closely and will keep you updated as more information is posted to ACHD’s enforcement docket. A donation can help sustain it!

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 . The July-December 2025 report is due to ACHD and EPA Feb. 28, 2026. GASP intends to make a public records request for this and all 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. GASP’s public records request revealed no further details about the project. Subsequent semi-annual reports indicate that U.S. Steel is still awaiting that EPA approval.   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. 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.”   The study plans can be read in full here.   About the SO2 CEMS Monitoring Plan for Edgar Thomson’s Riley Boilers   March 14  - 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 - DEP approved U.S. Steel’s SO2 CEMS Monitoring Plan for Edgar Thomson’s Riley Boilers.   July 4  - 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  - 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.   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.   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.   On Aug. 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 as well as 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 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 just have to wait and see. And when we say, “wait and see” we mean that 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   Here’s what we DO know: 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 have to be the ones working to make it happen,” Campbell added. Interested? Fill out our quick form here.

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.

At GASP, we’ve long believed our strength lies in the people who help us fight for cleaner air in southwestern Pennsylvania. Today, we are absolutely THRILLED to introduce two incredible new additions to our Board of Directors: Dr. Rachel Wojcik  and Dr. Nesta Bortey-Sam . Additionally, two board members – Kate St. John and Marla Ferency – were re-elected. “Both Rachel and Nesta bring a wealth of scientific and medical expertise that will be invaluable as we continue to push for better air quality and public health protections in our region,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. GASP President Jonathan Nadle agrees Rachel and Nesta are great additions to the board, adding, “They also are really nice people.  It’s been a pleasure getting to know them and we look forward to having a long, productive relationship.”   Meet Nesta Bortey-Sam Nesta is a powerhouse in the world of toxicology and public health. He serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. His work is all about the how and why —specifically, how environmental exposures lead to disease.  Nesta is part of a team studying how indoor and outdoor pollutants affect asthma severity right here in Allegheny County. He’s using advanced techniques to track pollutants back to their sources, helping us understand exactly what is in our air. Another major focus of his research involves prenatal exposure to toxins and how they affect birth outcomes and long-term health. Meet Rachel Wojcik If there’s anyone who understands the direct impact of air quality on our lungs, it’s a pulmonary specialist. Rachel is a physician and clinician-educator specializing in pulmonary and critical care medicine. After completing medical school at the University of Colorado, she moved to Pittsburgh for her residency and fellowship training—and we are so glad she stayed! She is passionate about bridging the gap between clinical medicine and environmental advocacy. Her goal is to bring vital education regarding air pollution and climate change to fellow physicians and the local community. “As southwestern Pennsylvania continues to face unique air quality challenges, having a board that combines medical frontline experience with cutting-edge toxicological research ensures that GASP remains a leader in science-based advocacy,” Campbell added. Please join us in giving Rachel and Nesta a big, warm welcome to the team. We can’t wait to see the impact they’ll make.

GASP on Wednesday attended the Allegheny County Board of Health meeting to ask members to use their authority to push the Allegheny County Executive's office to update the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee. Here's what our Executive Director Patrick Campbell said: Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Campbell, Executive Director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing healthy air quality since 1969. I appreciate the chance to speak with you today because we share a common goal: ensuring strong and effective oversight of air quality in Allegheny County. Right now, the Air Advisory Committee is in a difficult position. Every member is serving on an expired term, and the committee has not met since late last year. This uncertainty has limited its ability to function as intended— as a vital link bridging technical expertise, community voices, and policy. Over the past year, the committee often lacked a quorum and struggled to advance recommendations. While we understand the need for diverse representation—including public health experts, industry, and impacted communities—the current roster appears weighted toward industry, which raises concerns about balance and credibility. GASP respectfully urges the Board of Health to use its authority to encourage the County Executive’s office to prioritize these appointments and restore the committee’s effectiveness. We believe this is an opportunity to strengthen collaboration and ensure the advisory process reflects the broad interests of our community. Please know that GASP stands ready to assist in any way—whether through outreach, technical input, or supporting recruitment efforts. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to protecting public health. Stay tuned! We continue to follow this issue closely and will keep you posted!