A massive explosion at the US Steel plant in Clairton, Pennsylvania, has left one person dead and dozens injured or trapped. Emergency workers are on the scene, trying to rescue victims. According to Allegheny County Emergency Services spokesperson Kasey Reigner, one person died, and two were currently believed to be unaccounted for. Multiple other people were treated for injuries.
The explosion occurred around 10:51 am local time, and a fire started at the plant. Zachary Buday, a construction worker near the scene, described the moment of the explosion, saying, “It felt like thunder… Shook the scaffold, shook my chest, and shook the building, and then when we saw the dark smoke coming up from the steel mill and put two and two together, and it’s like something bad happened.”
The Allegheny County Health Department is monitoring the explosion and has advised residents within one mile of the plant to remain indoors, close all windows and doors, set air conditioning systems to recirculate, and avoid drawing in outside air. The department said its monitors have not detected levels of soot or sulfur dioxide above federal standards.
The plant, which is the largest coking operation in North America, converts coal to coke, a key component in the steel-making process. According to the company, it produces 4.3 million tons of coke annually and has approximately 1,400 workers. David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment, called for a full, independent investigation into the causes of the explosion and a re-evaluation of the plant’s operations. “There needs to be a full, independent investigation into the causes of this latest catastrophe and a re-evaluation as to whether the Clairton plant is fit to keep operating,” Masur said.
The Clairton plant has been the subject of concerns about pollution in recent years. In 2019, US Steel agreed to settle a 2017 lawsuit for $8.5 million, with $6.5 million going towards reducing soot emissions and noxious odors from the plant. Another lawsuit claimed that a 2018 fire released sulfur dioxide, causing the air to feel acidic and smell like rotten eggs. Last year, the company agreed to spend $19.5 million on equipment upgrades and $5 million on local clean air efforts as part of settling a federal lawsuit.
