The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on Monday issued an Allegheny Alert regarding an enforcement order against U.S. Steel – one that called for a fine of $10,560 to be levied.
The Allegheny Alert read:
ACHD issued an enforcement order against U.S. Steel on March 25, 2019, due to a failed stack test at the Clairton Coke Works that occurred in November of 2018. Battery 13’s combustion stack exceeded the limit for particulate matter (PM2.5) outlined in its permit.
The order required a retest of the Battery 13 stack and corrective actions to be taken to bring the battery into compliance. The first retest of this stack took place in April of 2019, and results indicated another failure of the emission limit.
During a second retest in June of 2019, results indicated compliance. The process to confirm compliance consists of comprehensive data analysis, review and verification, and can take up to six months and was just recently completed.
Today, ACHD notified U.S. Steel that it has levied a fine of $10,560 against the company for failing to meet compliance limits for the retest of Battery 13 in April of 2019.
ACHD noted in the Alert that the enforcement action is not related to the Dec. 24, 2018 fire at Clairton Coke Works.
The message from ACHD also included a link to the letter sent explaining that the department had levied the fine, as well as the enforcement order, dated Friday (Dec. 20).
U.S. Steel has 30 days to either pay the fine levied or appeal the order.
Editor’s Note: Please check back – this story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.