A Pittsburgh-based environmental law firm will hold free legal clinics for Clairton residents interested in participating in a class-action lawsuit against U.S. Steel over pollution from the Clairton Coke Works.
Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, in partnership with environmental advocacy groups Clean Water Action, Women for a Healthy Environment and Clean Air Council, will hold the clinics from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Clairton City Hall on Ravensburg Boulevard.
Attorneys from Fair Shake will be available to meet with residents one-on-one for 20-minute sessions to answer questions about how the possible settlement could impact them.
Fair Shake is a nonprofit law firm that works with residents in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The firm is not involved in settlement negotiations, according to a statement.
Court records show that the Detroit-based law firm Liddle & Dublin and Pittsburgh attorney James DePasquale are representing the class.
U.S. Steel will pay residents $2 million and invest $6.5 million to upgrade equipment at its Clairton Coke Works facility, according to a tentative settlement struck with residents and released in December.
The settlement is the result of a class-action lawsuit started in 2017. More than 5,600 households fall within the class area, which extends from 1.8 kilometers to 3.2 kilometers from the facility, according to court documents.
Residents must respond to letters mailed this month regarding their participation in the class-action lawsuit by Jan. 20.
A fairness hearing to confirm the settlement is scheduled for Feb. 24.
