Enforcement order issued against U.S. Steel
By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
The Allegheny County Health Department has issued an enforcement order against U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works facilities for continued permit violations involving daily sulfur dioxide emissions after a Dec. 24 fire occurred at the Clairton Coke Works.
The enforcement order was issued for the Edgar Thompson Plant, Irvin Plant and Clairton Coke Works facilities. It requires U.S. Steel to reduce its use of coke oven gas and daily SO2 emissions across all Mon Valley facilities, including the Peachtree flare at the Irvin Plant, until the repairs at the Clairton Coke Works are complete, or until June 30.
U.S. Steel previously announced about $20 million in physical repair costs that would have equipment operating at 70 percent capacity by May 15.
To comply with the enforcement order, U.S. Steel must reduce the volume of coal in each coke oven; further extend coking times from 22 hours to 30-36 hours; put as many coke oven batteries as necessary under “hot idle” to achieve compliance with the hydrogen sulfide emission standard; and/or propose its own plan to reduce SO2 emissions with demonstrated ability to comply with the daily permitted limit for its facilities.
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