Explosions at U. S. Steel coke plant underline urgent need for Nippon Steel coal phase out
Tokyo, Japan, 12 August, 2025 – Nippon Steel’s plan to continue with outdated coal-based production at its newly acquired U. S. Steel facilities is already under a cloud, with two workers killed on Monday in an explosion at its Clairton Coke Works in Western Pennsylvania.
U. S. Steel, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Steel, operates the Clairton Coke Works, which is the largest coke plant in the United States, originally built in 1901. It heats coal to make coke, a key raw material for blast furnaces, which plays a vital role in the traditional blast furnace method of ironmaking. This is already the second explosion at the plant this year, with the latest sending black smoke into the surrounding area. Air pollution levels in the county are estimated to have contributed to 640 to 1,373 premature deaths each year between 2020 and 2022 [1].
“SteelWatch expresses its condolences for the terrible losses at U. S. Steel facilities this week. This explosion underscores that coal-based production is a massive health and safety risk Nippon Steel has taken on with this deal. Urgent, transformational investments that phase out coal-based production are needed to safeguard lives,” said Roger Smith, Asia Lead for SteelWatch and a Pennsylvania native. “Nippon Steel promised to reline blast furnaces as part of its acquisition deal, but relining and repairing coal facilities will do nothing but keep workers and communities in harm’s way. Business as usual is too high a price for workers, communities and our climate.”
U. S. Steel has paid nearly USD64 million in air pollution enforcement actions, fines and settlements related to the Mon Valley Works’ three facilities since January of 2020, but little to nothing has been done to solve the underlying problems.
“The Breathe Project offers its condolences and support for the U. S. Steel Mon Valley Works employees and the Clairton/Mon Valley community for the horrific impact of the explosion and the ongoing rescue and safety assessment underway,” said Matthew Mehalik, Executive Director of the Breathe Project, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“Problems have been ongoing with the facility, piling tragedy upon tragedy. Real progress will only come when public health and community revitalisation are treated as non-negotiable priorities. There have been too many years of promise-breaking and too much emphasis on short-term deflections that continue to perpetuate community health harms and workforce anxiety.”
END
Video of the explosion
Credit Create Lab / Breathe Project
https://share.createlab.org/shorturl/breathecam/6856229e5f4f8825
Contacts
SteelWatch
Mikiko Ishii, Campaigns Officer
[email protected]
(+81 90-8381-4328)
Breathe Project
Matthew Mehalik, Executive Director
[email protected]
(+1 412-514-5008)
Notes
- The “Fine Particulate Matter and Mortality in Allegheny County, Pa.” study (PM Mortality Report) estimates that during the reporting period of 2009-2011, exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from air pollution generated by man-made sources resulted in 900-1920 deaths each year. Updated estimates during 2020-2022 show that while air pollution has improved and been reduced by 28.5% during the past decade in Allegheny County, an estimated 640 -1,373 people died each year from PM2.5 pollution. https://breatheproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fact_Sheet_5_15_2024_5UPDATES-1.pdf
- Background on Clairton Coke Works from Breathe Project: https://breatheproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Breathe_Project_USS_CCW_Explosion081125FINAL.pdf
For all media queries, please contact [email protected]
