With repairs said to be coming together ahead of schedule, U.S. Steel on Friday released photos showing some of the damage and repairs to the Clairton Coke Works facility following a Dec. 24 fire.
A photo taken Dec. 31, 2018, shows exterior damage to the roof of part of the facility, along with a photo dated March 8 showing subsequent repairs, according to a statement from U.S. Steel.
Other photos show what U.S. Steel describes as repairs to piping and other equipment inside the facility.
The Dec. 24 fire resulted in damage to control rooms where equipment used to clean coke oven gas is housed.
Earlier this month, U.S. Steel announced that the desulfurization systems — processes used to clean coke oven gas and remove substances like sulfur dioxide, or SO2, which can irritate the eyes, nose and throat — should be 100 percent operational by April 15, a month ahead of schedule.
That announcement came shortly after the Allegheny County Health Department issued an enforcement order on Feb. 28 against the Clairton facility, along with the Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock and Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, citing air quality violations.
Following an appeal by U.S. Steel, the county health department issued a revised enforcement order March 12 that includes a commitment from U.S. Steel to complete repairs by April 15, as well as to extend coking times at all batteries by March 23 to help lower emissions as repairs are completed.
