US Steel Corp. (USS) has agreed to an $8.5mn class-action lawsuit settlement stemming from 2017 when its Clairton Coke Works plant was accused of environmental negligence.
The settlement isn’t officially scheduled until Feb. 24, but according to the agreement’s terms, USS will pay at least $6.5mn to lessen noxious odors and soot emissions at its Clairton facility. Area residents and their lawyers will receive the remaining money.
Because the case is still technically in progress, USS declined comment but provided Davis Index a statement, which skirted both the reasons for the lawsuit and the settlement’s terms. In it, USS said it is committed to investing in its operations and processes to improve air quality in the Mon Valley region.
In early 2019, USS announced it’s investing more than $1bn in its Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, PA., as well as a brand new cogeneration facility at its Clairton plant that will reduce emissions.
Just last month, USS announced it will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20pc, which it has based on 2018 levels of CO2 emissions per ton of finished steel shipped.