Cleaning up the Mon Valley
United Steelworkers and U.S. Steel are working to improve the Pittsburgh environment
U.S. Steel has been working around the clock to repair damage caused by a significant fire at its Clairton Plant, a key part of the Pittsburgh-area Mon Valley Works. As leaders of U.S. Steel and the United Steelworkers International, we would like to communicate more directly with the local community regarding the fire and help our neighbors understand the path forward.
In the early morning hours of Dec. 24, U.S. Steel employees detected a fire in an area of the plant containing environmental-control equipment. Their quick actions ensured the safety of all individuals in the area, including first responders, and the fire was extinguished and contained. The company promptly notified the appropriate environmental regulatory authorities of the fire and the breakdown of certain environmental-control equipment. U.S. Steel has remained in communication with these agencies throughout the repair process.
We recognize that the fire caused our Mon Valley neighbors alarm and pledge that we are working tirelessly to make the situation right. We have heard the community’s concerns, including questions as to why the company cannot shut down operations at Clairton while repairs are underway. The answer is that safely shutting down operations, or “hot idling” portions of the plant, is a months-long process that would offer little in the way of immediate benefits and increase the likelihood of additional environmental compliance issues in the future.
U.S. Steel is devoting every resource to the mitigation and repair efforts underway, which offer our neighbors the best and fastest outcome from the unfortunately limited options available. We are rebuilding the equipment involved to improve operations and avoid similar failures and breakdowns in the future. Steelworkers and other skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen are working around the clock, bringing a spirit of dedication to the Clairton Plant every day with the shared goal of remedying this situation as quickly as possible.
The United Steelworkers and U.S. Steel maintain a commitment to environmental stewardship. The USW is a founding partner of the Blue-Green Alliance, a coalition of labor unions and environmental advocacy groups. As part of this alliance, the USW has played an important role in improvements in air and water quality, both nationally and here in the Pittsburgh region. The union and the company recognize that the Mon Valley Works must operate in compliance with the most rigorous and stringent environmental standards in the country — in fact, U.S. Steel has spent upwards of $100 million annually in its efforts to improve environmental performance in the Mon Valley.
The Mon Valley Works is the Pittsburgh region’s last remaining integrated steel mill operation, and it is arguably the most productive and energy-efficient integrated steel mill in the United States. In addition to the significant strides it has made in energy efficiency, U. S. Steel has made significant progress in its environmental performance and is committed to continuing that progress. The company is developing innovative technologies and work practices to continue to improve environmental performance.
In recent weeks, representatives from U.S. Steel and the United Steelworkers have heard from Mon Valley leaders, residents and elected officials directly in several public forums, as well as hosting Lt. Gov. John Fetterman for a visit to the Clairton Plant. U.S. Steel is committed to improving communication among the company, union leadership, the community and all stakeholders. As part of this effort, there is a dedicated website, clairton.uss.com, for updates, answers to community questions and information on repairs at the plant. The company is also working with local leaders to establish better means to improve the regular exchange of information with our neighbors in the Mon Valley.
Together, we share a commitment to safety that extends beyond our employees and our operations and into the communities in which we operate. We know that the 3,000 hardworking men and women employed at the Mon Valley Works, the majority of whom are members of the United Steelworkers, also share in our commitment.
Collaboration among U.S. Steel, the United Steelworkers and state and local government leadership has been a major driver of improvement to the Pittsburgh region’s environment. Working together, we are confident we will have a bright future — protecting both our shared environment and the continued ability of our skilled Mon Valley workers to manufacture worldclass steel products that have been the pride of the Pittsburgh region for generations.