More than two months have passed since the fatal explosion at the U.S. Steel Clairton plant, and the company has announced intentions to safely and cautiously restart a key component of the facility. According to CBS News, U.S. Steel is set to resume operations of Battery 14, which had been on hot idle since mid-August when the explosion claimed the lives of two workers and injured nearly a dozen others.
Sources familiar with the plant's mechanics explained to CBS News that the fatal incident took place inside the reversing room for batteries 13 and 14 – a critical area that ensures coal is evenly baked into coke. To avoid the chances of another tragedy, several enhanced safety procedures have been implemented. U.S. Steel expressed in a statement a continued dedication to safety, stating, "As we move forward, our thoughts remain with the employees who were injured or lost during the August 11th incident." The final safety checks are scheduled to be carried out shortly, with the start-up of operations expected to commence in the afternoon.
U.S. Steel, now under the ownership of Japan's Nippon Steel, is adhering to strict safety and environmental standards during this restart phase. As reported by WTAE, the company has been in contact with the Allegheny County Health Department and vows to intensely monitor emissions controls throughout the process.
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