Health Department Announces Finalized Settlement with U.S. Steel

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) in a press release Monday announced that it has finalized the settlement agreement and order with U.S. Steel that was issued in June of 2019.

The announcement comes more than six months after ACHD held a public hearing to receive comments on the settlement—a hearing at which GASP and myriad other environmental organizations and residents spoke.
The agreement addresses ACHD’s 2018 enforcement order and all subsequent penalties issued against the Clairton Coke Works from 2018-19. It also requires the company meet the improvement criteria of the 2018 enforcement order, which includes $200 million in plant improvements.

ACHD said two important elements of the final order have been completed:

Community Benefit Trust has been established for impacted communities: Clairton, Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue.

These communities will be able to utilize funds for projects that improve, protect, or reduce the risk to public health or the environment. The Smithfield Trust Company will serve as administrator of the trust and will guide the communities with all aspects of administration. These communities represent the areas that modeling has demonstrated to be the most immediately impacted by the emissions from the Clairton Coke Works and have previously been designated by EPA for failing to meet particulate matter standards.

Neither ACHD nor U.S. Steel will be involved in the administration of this trust.

Citizens and elected officials from Clairton, Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue will be selected to be part of a Community Advisory Panel. The Panel will meet quarterly with representatives from U.S. Steel to discuss concerns related to the Clairton Coke Works.

To view the finalized agreement and public comment and response document, and for additional information regarding the Community Benefit Trust, visit ACHD’s legal page: http://bit.ly/2H2jnWh