US Steel restarts battery involved in Clairton Plant explosion
By Caitlyn Scott
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CLAIRTON, Pa. (WTAE) — A section of U.S. Steel’s Clairton Plant is back online after the deadly explosion in August.
The company restarted coke battery 14 on Thursday. The battery had been on hot idle to allow necessary repairs since the Aug. 11 explosion.
With that work complete, U.S. Steel said they are planning to safely resume operations.
“All procedures will be carried out with a strong focus on safety and environmental compliance,” U.S. Steel said in a release. “We’ve notified the Allegheny County Health Department and will remain in close contact throughout the process. Emissions controls will be active and closely monitored as operations resume.”
The update comes months after the explosion at the plant, which killed two people and injured at least 10 others.
U.S. Steel said preliminary information “indicated that the explosion occurred during maintenance activities involving a gas isolation valve in the basement of the Battery 13/14 transfer area at the facility.”
Timothy Quinn, 39, and Steven Menefee, 52, were killed in the explosion.
“As we move forward, our thoughts remain with the employees who were injured or lost during the August 11th incident,” the company said in the release on Wednesday. “Their families, colleagues, and loved ones are in our hearts, and their memory continues to guide our commitment to safety.”
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