Explosion at Clairton coke plant injures 20
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Emergency personnel enter the U.S. Steel's Clairton coke plant near the site of an explosion in B battery coke-making operation. -
A view of the U.S. Steel Clairton coke plant.
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An explosion so powerful that it blew out concrete-block walls rocked U.S. Steel's Clairton coke plant this morning, leaving 20 people with burns and injuries ranging in severity from minor to life-threatening.
The patients were taken to UPMC Mercy, UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC McKeesport, Jefferson Regional and West Penn, which received three workers, two of them in critical condition.
A decontamination facility was set up at UPMC McKeesport, where the injured workers were treated initially before being sent to other hospitals, according to Gloria Kreps, UPMC spokeswoman.
"It is a miracle that no one was killed outright by the blast," said Allegheny County's emergency management chief, Bob Full.
Chief Full could not say yet what caused the blast, other than saying it was sparked by coke oven gas, which is produced in the coke-making process and is used to bake the impurities out of coal.
Helping in the investigation are the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Chief Full said the ATF usually investigates crimes, but in this case the agency was called in because of its expertise in determining what causes explosions.
"They have resources you can't believe," he said.
The explosion was reported at 9:37 a.m., and the resulting fire burned until about 2:45 p.m., Chief Full said.
Allegheny County spokesman Kevin Evanto said all workers at the plant had been accounted for.
"What I have right now is there was a fire and explosion in number 2 B battery and apparently there was flammable gas that ignited and exploded and the result was that [21] employees were transported to area hospitals. Some were severe," said Robert Szymanski, the director of OSHA's Pittsburgh office.
Jim Thompson, manager of the Allegheny County Air Quality Program, said initial reports from a Health Department inspector at the scene indicate the explosion may have been caused by a gas explosion at the B battery, the largest coke-making battery at the Clairton complex with 75 ovens. All operations at the battery have been shut down, he said.
First Published July 14, 2010 10:33 am
