Two people were killed and at least 10 injured on Monday in an explosion at a US steel factory near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the government said it placed emphasis on the vast facilities.
A worker was pulled from the wreckage after the explosion sent black smoke into the midday sky in Mont Valley, a Pennsylvania area synonymous with steel for more than a century. Authorities later said the second person had died.
Allegheny County Emergency Services said the fire at the factory began around 10:51am local time, followed by several small explosions felt by residents of nearby communities.
The explosion prompted county officials to warn residents to stay away from the scene so emergency workers can respond.
“It felt like lightning,” Zachary Buday, a construction worker near the scene, told local media. “I shook my footing, shook my chest and shook the building. And when I saw the dark smoke coming from the steel factory and put 2 and 2 together, it seemed that something bad had happened.”
Causes of the explosion under investigation
Local officials said they were still trying to determine what happened. US steel employees “did have done an incredible job” of rescuing workers, closing gas and ensuring the site is stable, Scott Buckiso, chief manufacturing officer of US steel, said at a press conference.
Buckiso said the company, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Steel Corp., is working with authorities. US Steel CEO David B. Burritt said the company will thoroughly investigate the cause.
“I finish all meetings and all messages and end with the words, “Let’s go back to work safely.” That commitment was less important than ever. We respect that,” he said in a statement.
Allegheny Health Network Hospital, the county’s local hospital, said the University of Fitzburg Medical Center, five have already been discharged, five have been discharged and seven patients received from the plant.
Air Quality Concerns and Health Warnings
A large industrial facility along the Monongahera River, south of Pittsburgh, the plant is considered the largest caulking operation in North America and is one of the four major US steel factories in Pennsylvania.
This plant converts coal into cola, an important component of the steel manufacturing process. To make coke, coal is baked in a special oven for hours at high temperatures, removing impurities that could otherwise weaken the steel. This process creates what is known as coke gas. It created a deadly mixture of methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
The factory has around 1,400 workers, but in recent years the Claireton plant has been plagued by pollution concerns.
Concerns about a long history of pollution
In 2019, the steel factory agreed to pay $8.5 million to resolve air pollution complaints. Five years later, the company agreed to resolve federal lawsuits brought by the Allegheny County Health Department, Pennenvillonment and Clean Air Council, spending $5 million on local clean air initiatives and programs, and $19.5 million on equipment changes.
The lawsuit stemmed from the 2018 Christmas Eve fire and caused $40 million in damages. According to the lawsuit, the fire damages the pollution prevention device and repeatedly releases sulfur dioxide.
As a result of the fire, Allegheny County warned residents to limit outdoor activities, and for the next few weeks the air felt acidic, smelled like rotten eggs, and it was difficult to breathe.
In February, battery issues at the factory caused a “accumulation of flammable materials,” causing an audible “boom,” officials said. Two workers received first aid treatment at a local hospital, but were not seriously injured.
