CLAIRTON, Pa. — Officials are sharing new information following a deadly explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works on Monday, revealing what happened in the moments before the blast and outlining the company’s next steps.
U.S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt said the company is committed to finding answers. “We are going to make sure we get to the root cause,” Burritt said. “And when we get to that root cause, make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”
Witnesses near the plant reported hearing multiple blasts after the initial explosion and seeing a large plume of smoke. On Tuesday, U.S. Steel clarified that those additional sounds were not further explosions, but a pressure-release mechanism used in the impacted area.
Scott Buckiso, U.S. Steel’s senior vice president, described the work taking place before the incident.
“It was a normal course of business yesterday,” Buckiso said. “We were charging ovens and pushing coke out of the oven. We had individuals prepping for a maintenance job in the area, and that’s where we are in the investigation.”
The explosion occurred in Batteries 13 and 14, where routine maintenance had been scheduled. While investigators are still working to determine the cause, the company says there is no indication that the maintenance work was related to the blast. Batteries 13 and 14 remain shut down as state and federal officials investigate. Batteries 19 and 20 are also offline while valve repairs are underway.
Governor Josh Shapiro called for a thorough investigation into the cause. “We owe them an answer for what happened,” Shapiro said. “We owe them the answers to their questions, and we owe them to never forget the sacrifices that occurred here yesterday.”
Burritt pledged a transparent investigation in coordination with authorities.
“We are working closely with local, state, and federal authorities to understand exactly what happened,” Burritt said. “We are not going to speculate. We are going to let the people do their jobs, and we will support them in that important job.”
The blast remains under investigation by local, state, and federal agencies. County officials reported that so far, air and water testing have shown no concerning results, but urged residents to remain vigilant as monitoring continues.
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