After the explosion at the steel plant, air quality monitoring is being intensified

• The explosion at the steel plant claimed the lives of two people.
• Intensified monitoring of air quality is a consequence of ecological problems.
• U.S. Steel is cooperating with government agencies to investigate the explosion.

In Allegheny County, where the explosion occurred at U.S. Steel's steel plant not far from Pittsburgh, two people died and more than 10 were injured. On Thursday, September 14, local authorities announced the intensified monitoring of air quality in the region.

The Department of Health of Allegheny reported that mobile monitoring stations for air quality, provided by the state and Carnegie Mellon University, will be placed in Mon Valley, where the plant is located, on Thursday and Friday. These stations are part of the investigation into the explosion that occurred on Monday at Clairton Coke Works.

According to the department, the new stations will exceed the usual norms for air quality monitoring and will evaluate various types of pollutants, such as fine particulate matter, PM2.5, and sulfur dioxide.

After the explosion, the department began advising residents within a 1-mile (1.6 km) radius to stay indoors and close windows and doors. Previously, this advisory was rescinded, as monitors did not detect levels of soot or sulfur dioxide above federal standards.

The office of the medical examiner confirmed that the second victim of the explosion, 52-year-old Steven Menefee, lived in Clairton. It was previously established that the first victim was 39-year-old Timothy Kuhn.

The General Director of U.S. Steel, David Burritt, stated that the company is closely cooperating with local, state, and federal agencies. He did not comment on the cause of the explosion.

The plant, located along the Monongahela River in Clairton, converts coal into coke, which is an important component in steel production. It is the largest coking facility in the Northern America.

The process of coke production involves the heating of coal in specialized ovens at high temperatures to remove impurities that can weaken steel. This process generates coke oven gas - a hazardous mixture of methane, volatile organic compounds, and carbon oxides.

The plant has a long history of ecological problems, including air pollution in neighboring communities. In 2018, a fire prompted the installation of equipment for monitoring pollution and revealed significant emissions of sulfur dioxide.

In 2019, U.S. Steel agreed to a settlement of $8.5 million for air pollution from Clairton.

Problems with air quality also arose in the context of recent federal agency findings regarding the new standards for air pollution for coking plants.

Megalick, executive director of Breathe Project, stated that new regulations would be beneficial for monitoring air quality and protecting residents.

Tags: USA/Ecology