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Residents and business boosters clash at hearing on U.S. Steel's $3 billion hot strip mill
The proposed $3 billion mill is big, and so is the pollution worry
- $3 billion
- for the proposed hot strip mill at Edgar Thomson
- 3,500,000 tons
- of hot rolled steel a year, at most
- 43%
- rise in Braddock particulate pollution, per the Breathe Project
Sources: WPXI, TribLIVE.com, WTAE
If you live near Braddock, this one is about your air. The Allegheny County Health Department held a public hearing Tuesday on U.S. Steel's permit application for a new hot strip mill at its Edgar Thomson Plant. The company says it would replace the existing mill at its Irvin Plant in West Mifflin and could produce up to 3,500,000 tons of hot rolled steel a year. The permit will determine the future of the $3 billion proposal.
- Where: Carnegie One Braddock Library
- Who spoke: residents, advocates and business boosters
- Opponents' five asks: limits, monitoring, offsets, justice protections, accountability
WPXI says residents debated breathable air and economic progress. Curtis Da'Von of Clean Water Action said, “It is community members who pay the price with their health, their well-being, and unfortunately, their lives.” The Breathe Project says the mill would increase particulate pollution by 43% in Braddock. Several speakers in support said it will create job opportunities and modernize operations, and West Mifflin Mayor Chris Kelly spoke of “new life, new investment, and renewed confidence.” A county hearing memo said potential emissions “will not significantly impact air quality.”
Speakers at the hearing split on the mill
| Speaker | Side | Their point |
|---|---|---|
| Curtis Da'Von, Clean Water Action | Opposed | Community pays with health |
| Sarah Murphy, North Braddock | Concerned | Pollution issues must be addressed to serve the community |
| Chris Kelly, West Mifflin mayor | Supports | New life, new investment |
| Matt Smith, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance | Supports | Transformational reinvestment |
Source: WTAE
