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U.S. AND ALLEGHENY COUNTY SETTLE SUIT AGAINST USX OVER DUST VIOLATIONS AT EDGAR THOMPSON STEEL MILL

Release Date: 10/29/1999
Contact Information: David Sternberg (215) 814-5548

David Sternberg, 215-814-5548

BRADDOCK, Pa. - USX Corp. has agreed to pay a $550,000 penalty and undertake $1.6 million in environmental projects to settle a complaint over Clean Air Act violations at the Edgar Thompson Works in Braddock, Pa. A proposed consent decree settling a joint U.S.-Allegheny County lawsuit was filed October 28 in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh.

If approved by the court after a 30-day public comment period, the consent decree will settle alleged violations of regulations on particulate or dust pollution at the mill. Particulate emissions have been linked to a variety of acute and chronic respiratory ailments, including asthma, bronchitis, and decreased lung function.

According to the complaint, which was filed with the consent decree, the Edgar Thompson plant violated limits on emissions in 1996 and 1997.

The consent decree requires USX to comply with federal and county air pollution control regulations, and to complete five supplemental environmental projects costing over $1.6 million. These projects, which exceed the requirements of federal, state and local environmental regulations include:

- Reducing fluoride discharged in the plant’s wastewater.
- Reducing air emissions through natural gas combustion at various steel vessels.
- Reducing dust and particulate emissions by paving plant roadways and upgrading the plant’s scrap metal storage area.
- Making improvements to its gas cleaning equipment.
- Replacing numerous electrical transformers containing carcinogenic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) fluid.