U.S. Steel this week plans to begin the process of returning two coke batteries to operation at its Clairton Coke Works. The batteries have been offline in the aftermath of a deadly explosion.
The Clairton Coke Works’ 13th and 14th batteries were the site of a gas valve failure earlier this month that caused an explosion, killing two workers and injuring several others. The batteries have been offline since then. U.S. Steel said Tuesday that it will begin the process of returning those batteries to operation but must first inspect them for damages.
To do that, U.S. Steel says it must put the batteries into a “hot idle” state in which the batteries are kept warm but are not in operation. The company will remove coke from inside the batteries, which could cause ashy particles to be released into the air. U.S. Steel says it doesn’t expect elevated pollution as a result of the process, but adds it will keep the Allegheny County Health Department informed as the process plays out.
“No coking or production will be taking place,” the company said in a statement. “Without placing them on hot idle, the batteries will not be able to function ever again.”
The explosion shook the 110-year-old Clairton facility — the largest coke works in North America and part of U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works — and could be felt miles away. Two people died in the blast, and 10 others required hospital treatment for injuries suffered in the explosion.
Search crews located the first victim, Timothy Quinn, 39, of Westmoreland County, on Aug. 11, shortly after the explosion, and found Steven Menefee, 52, of Clairton, later in the evening. Multiple others were treated at the plant for minor injuries but did not require hospital care.
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