PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - The Allegheny County Health Department is announcing what it calls a groundbreaking agreement with US Steel over air quality violations from coke and other emissions from its Clairton Coke Works.
The agreement calls for repairs to battery operations to reduce future emissions, commitments to improve transparency including third party audits of air pollution control.
US Steel is also required to pay nearly three million dollars in fines.
In a statement, county executive Rich Fitzgerald applauds the agreement, saying he's hopeful it results in better air quality for those living in the Mon Valley.
“I look forward to U.S. Steel meeting these obligations that will benefit our county, our air quality, the impacted municipalities and their communities and residents. Thank you to all of those who played a part in this resolution. I’m hopeful that it results in better air quality for those who live in and around the facilities in the Mon Valley.”
The County says the agreement includes:
Repairs to the batteries and battery operations to help reduce fugitive and stack emission
- Installation of air curtains for Battery B (to improve the capture of fugitive emissions)
- Battery 15 wall repair to repair leaks
- Upgraded bag houses for batteries 13, 14, and 15 and 19 and 20 (reduces the emission of particulate matter)
- Replacement of Battery 15 stack (making it taller for better dispersion)
- Rebuild of end flues for batteries 1, 2, and 3
Commitments to improve transparency
- Annual audit by a third-party coke oven and air pollution control performance
- Expand the deployment of environmental quality improvement program (CITE) including regular reports on achievements; the CITE program emphasizes the importance to environmental performance to the employees of the coking operations
- Enhanced transparency of operations and maintenance procedures with regular reporting to ACHD
Community benefit provisions
- US Steel will be paying all fines related to the 2018 order amounting to $2,732,504. Of these fines, 90% ($2,459,253) will go into a community benefit trust for impacted communities while the remaining ten percent ($273,250) will go into the clean air fund
- Development of a community advisory panel of citizens and elected officials from impacted communities.
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