U.S. Steel released preliminary findings about the potential cause of Monday’s deadly explosion at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works.
U.S. Steel spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski said in a statement on Friday that “preliminary indications lead us to believe” that the explosion happened when a gas valve was flushed in preparation for planned maintenance.
The statement said that as pressure built inside the valve, it failed, and coke oven gas filled the area. The explosion then happened when an ignition source was found.
“We want to reinforce that this investigation is in its early stages, and we will provide more information when we can,” Malkowski’s statement said.
At around 11 a.m. on Monday, an explosion at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works killed two and injured at least 10 people. The initial explosion happened inside the reversing room for batteries 13 and 14, and multiple secondary explosions were reported.
The investigation into the cause has already begun, with Pennsylvania leaders calling for transparency and answers. In Friday’s statement, Malkowski said U.S. Steel employees, agencies and experts have been reviewing video footage and interviewing employees. The statement said U.S. Steel will provide more information when it can.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro said U.S. Steel remains committed to a full and transparent investigation while ensuring Clairton and its surrounding communities will be protected.
Dave Burritt, the CEO of U.S. Steel, said the company is working with local, state, and federal investigators on figuring out what happened. Among the agencies investigating is the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
Timothy Quinn was one of the two victims killed in Monday’s explosion. KDKA is not identifying the second victim, as the governor said their family would like to remain private at this time.
Clairton’s mayor reacts to preliminary findings
The speed at which U.S. Steel’s preliminary results came surprised Clairton Mayor Rich Lattanzi.
“I thought something like this would take two to four to five months for it to unfold,” he said on Friday.
“I’m thinking what they found is a smoking gun,” Lattanzi added.
The mayor said the explanation “adds up and it’s making sense.” But JoJo Burgess, who works in the plant and is the mayor of Washington, still has questions.
“Did someone know before it happened, so that they could have tried to stop the process?” he said.
Bernie Hall, director of United Steelworkers District 10, said on Friday that it’s still early in the investigation and the union needs to learn more before speculating further.
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