Steel Mills

Residents Oppose Fracking at U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson

April 8, 2019

Residents near U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works are in an uproar over plans to allow New Mexico-based Merrion Oil & Gas to drill for natural gas in the Edgar Thomson Plant.

U.S. Steel has leased 10 acres of land at the plant in Braddock, Pa., to Merrion Oil to construct three fracking wells that will provide natural gas to U.S. Steel. If the permits are granted, construction will begin in 2020.

“We view this project as a potential opportunity to enhance the long-term cost competitiveness of our local Mon Valley works facilities, including the Edgar Thomson Plant. We use natural gas for our daily operations and this will provide natural gas at an advantaged price,” said U.S. Steel spokeswoman Meghan Cox.

Edgar Thomson is a part of Mon Valley Works, an area of Pennsylvania that has been subject to ongoing litigation over emissions violations by U.S. Steel. Although the fracking operations do not require air permits from the state, residents are concerned about potential spills or incidents that will add to environmental and health issues in the area. At a public comment session on March 28, only one of 40 people commenting voiced support for the project.

Merrion Oil intends to construct a 2,770-foot national gas pipeline and a 2,990-foot fresh water pipeline. A well drilling pad will be situated near the eastern property line of the mill. The wells will be approximately 6,000 feet deep and extend horizontally 8,500-10,000 feet. The site would discharge storm water into the Braddock storm sewer system and Turtle Creek.

Merrion Oil operations manager Ryan Davis tried to allay residents’ concerns during the comment session. “The first thing is, we prioritize safety in all our operations,” said Davis, whose comment was met with skepticism by many in attendance.

Davis later conceded that, “We have had spills or things that occur. That comes with the nature of the business….There are some incidents where we had to do some remediation work.” Incidents similar to the December gas processing plant explosion near Pittsburgh are a concern for the 20,000-plus residents that live near Edgar Thomson.

In an interview with Kallenish Energy, Davis noted that the geology in Allegheny County is very good, but the area is “obviously very urban” and therefore “a little more challenging.”

Davis said the company is committed to being a good neighbor and is excited about the project.

“Safety is a core value at U.S. Steel and Merrion shares in our commitment to protect our employees and the communities in which we operate,” added Cox.