At the time, local leaders and company officials called the investment âtransformational.â
It involved a whopping $1.5 billion upgrade to the three Mon Valley Works plants, all in Pennsylvania â the Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, the Irvin Plant in West Mifflin and the Clairton Coke Works in Clairton â with technology and improvements that would have resulted in cleaner air for all three communities as well as good-paying jobs providing regional prosperity for decades.
On April 30, U.S. Steel said that after months of tug of war with the Allegheny County Health Department, it was canceling the $1.5 billion upgrade and idling three batteries at Clairton Coke Works by 2023.
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Wednesday, May 5, 2021 8:39 p.m.
| Wednesday, May 5, 2021 8:39 p.m.
Sen. Pat Toomey speaks during a forum of Pittsburgh Works inside of UA Local 449 Steamfitters on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Sen. Pat Toomey speaks during a forum of Pittsburgh Works inside of UA Local 449 Steamfitters on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Former Pennsylvania House of Representatives member Mike Turzai speaks during a forum of Pittsburgh Works inside of UA Local 449 Steamfitters on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Sen. Pat Toomey speaks during a forum of Pittsburgh Works inside of UA Local 449 Steamfitters on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Sen. Pat Toomey speaks during a forum of Pittsburgh Works inside of UA Local 449 Steamfitters on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
StateImpact Pennsylvania
Last week, U.S. Steel announced it would abandon a $1.5 billion investment in its Clairton Coke Works and two other Mon Valley plants.
Local labor and industry are still reeling from
“Honestly, I’m not sure who to blame for this, and that’s why I’m asking questions – I’ll be speaking with folks at the company very soon,” the Republican said. “And I think we do want to understand what could have happened here, because it certainly seemed like a great project that had a lot going for it.”
“Why did this look like a good project two years ago, and then two years later it’s all over?” Toomey asked.
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BRADDOCK, Pennsylvania Exactly two years ago, U.S. Steel Corporation announced that the company would turn its Mon Valley operations into a key source of lightweight steel for the automotive industry.
At the time, local leaders and company officials called the investment “transformational.” Statue of Joe Magarac, a folktale steelworker who could bend steel with his bare hands, in front of the 148-year-old Edgar Thomson Works. (Shannon Venditti / Washington Examiner)
It involved a whopping $1.5 billion upgrade to its Mon Valley Works. This included an upgrade of the Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock, the Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, and Clairton Coke Works, with technology and improvements that would have provided cleaner air for all three communities where the plants are located, as well as good-paying jobs that would have provided prosperity for the region for decades.