Steel Mills

USS idles "B" battery at Clairton following explosion

Written by Ethan Bernard

February 6, 2025

U.S. Steel has idled the “B” Battery at its Clairton Coke Works near Pittsburgh following a “release of excess pressure” inside a section of the battery on Feb. 5.

“The battery has been taken off-line and will remain off-line until a root cause can be determined and any necessary and appropriate repairs can be made,” a USS spokeswoman said in a statement to SMU.

“This is a rare occurrence that was isolated to a small area of the plant, and there is no risk to the community,” she added.

The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker stated it followed all safety and environmental protocols and is conducting a thorough investigation.

“Some employees were taken to a local hospital where they underwent evaluations. They were released and allowed to return to work,” the spokeswoman said.

She noted that over the last five years, U.S. Steel has invested over $750 million in improvement projects at its Mon Valley Works facilities. This includes roughly $100 million annually being spent at the Clairton facility on environmental compliance.

Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA. in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

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