U.S. Steel to Remove Coke from the Ovens at Clairton Coke Plant Facility

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Leading steelmaker, United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel), in a statement issued Tuesday, stated that it has decided to begin the process of removing coke from the ovens at the Clairton Coke plant facility. The update comes nearly three weeks after the deadly explosion at the plant that killed two people and injured at least 10 workers.

According to company officials, the coke from batteries #13 and #14 will be removed, so as to confirm damage if any to the ovens and to repair them if possible. As a next step, the batteries will be placed into a hot idle state in order to maintain their integrity. The coking and production process will be halted during this period.

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U.S. Steel noted that the entire process will take a few days to complete. The process is unlikely to result in elevated non-particulate pollution. However, the removal of coke from ovens will likely result in release of some ashy particles. The company is working to mitigate any potential emissions, the statement said. Furthermore, the Allegheny County Health Department will be duly informed, it added.

Ronnie Das, Public Health Information Officer at Allegheny County Health Department noted that the battery’s emission control devices were damaged in the explosion and is not available to capture pollution.