Neighbors sue U.S. Steel over Clairton plant emissions
Their goal is class-action suit to seek damages
Two neighbors of U.S. Steel’s Clairton coke plant have filed a lawsuit against the Pittsburgh steelmaker, claiming the operation’s toxic and hazardous emissions make it a blight on the community and hurts their property values.
The lawsuit was filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on Thursday by John Macus of Jefferson Hills and Cheryl Hurt of Clairton.
They are hoping to get their complaint turned into a class-action lawsuit that would allow people in an area roughly bounded by Miller Road, Clairton Boulevard, State Street and North State Street to seek similar damages.
The lawsuit points to the Allegheny County Health Department’s determination last year that the Clairton plant was responsible for 6,700 air pollution violations over the previous 3½ years. The allegations, made in a lawsuit the agency filed against U.S. Steel, led to the latest in a series of consent decrees between county officials and the company.
Under the agreement, U.S. Steel promised to bring the plant into compliance with emission standards within three years and paid a $25,000 fine. The company had paid more than $3.9 million in fines since 2009 for violating previous consent agreements.
Last year’s settlement came two months after PennFuture, a statewide environmental group, threatened to go to federal court to force U.S. Steel to comply with the federal Clean Air Act and other regulations.
The lawsuit mirrors the frustration of Penn Future and other environmental groups that have complained about what they consider to be the health department’s lax approach to enforcement when it comes to one of the region’s largest employers.
A U.S. Steel spokeswoman said the company does not comment on pending litigation.
The company’s Clairton plant is one of the biggest sources of air quality complaints in the region. It is the largest coke plant in North America and produces a baked coal used as a fuel in blast furnaces. Making coke is one of the dirtiest processes in steelmaking.
In their lawsuit, Mr. Macus and Ms. Hurt allege emissions from the coke plant cause damages “to their properties and personal finances ... significant annoyance and inconvenience; emotional distress; and destruction of their community.”
They are seeking damages for the loss of property value, an injunction ordering the company to implement noise and odor abatement measures, and punitive damages.