Lawmakers’ air quality hearing draws huge crowd
By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
Tensions were high Thursday at a standing-room-only public hearing to discuss air quality violations in the Mon Valley.
The hearing was requested by state Sen. Jim Brewster and Rep. Austin Davis, both McKeesport Democrats, so they and other state lawmakers from Allegheny County municipalities could hear ways to improve air quality in the wake of sulfur dioxide exceedances from U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works plant.
The overflow crowd was filled with dozens of environmentalists holding signs with messages such as “No City is Livable Without Clean Air” and “#hot idle.” Next to them, workers from U.S. Steel were dressed in their safety orange colored coveralls and holding signs that read “Jobs Worth Fighting For,” “Steel Strong” and “Fighting for Jobs in Our Community.”
A panel from U.S. Steel Corp. testified first and included director of government affairs and public policy Chris Masciantonio, Clairton Coke Works plant manager Mike Rhoades, U.S. Steel general manager of environmental affairs Tishie Woodwell and U.S. Steel’s general manager of the Mon Valley Works Kurt Barshick.
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