U.S. Steel Pennsylvania pollution
Credit: Kristina Marusic for EHN

Coal-based steelmaking in Pennsylvania causes up to 92 premature deaths and $1.4 billion in health costs every year: Report

Just three facilities near Pittsburgh cost the state $16 million in lost economic activity annually, according to a new report.

PITTSBURGH — Pollution from Pennsylvania’s three remaining coal-based steelmaking plants cause an estimated 50 to 92 premature deaths each year, according to a new report.


The report, published by Industrious Labs, an environmental advocacy organization focused on decarbonizing heavy industry, looked at pollution and health data to estimate the total, facility-level, and state-level costs of the 17 coal-based steelmaking plants that are still in operation across the U.S., located in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan and Virginia.

Coal-based steelmaking involves heating coal to extremely high temperatures to convert it to coke, a key ingredient in steelmaking. The process emits large volumes of toxic pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM2.5), benzene and lead compounds. Exposure to coke oven emissions is linked to cancer, respiratory disease and heart disease.

“Steel communities have been sounding the alarm on harmful air pollution for years, and this report quantifies just how devastating and far-reaching the consequences are,” Hilary Lewis, steel director at Industrious Labs, said in a statement.

Pennsylvania has three coal-based steel plants in operation, all of which are located near Pittsburgh: U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works and Edgar Thomson Mill, and Cleveland-Cliff’s Monessen plant.

According to the report, every year these three facilities in southwestern Pennsylvania cause an estimated:

  • 54 ER visits for respiratory problems
  • 24,949 cases of asthma symptoms
  • 3,988 missed work days
  • 6,965 missed school days
  • $800 million-$1.4 billion in health costs
  • $16 million in lost economic activity

U.S. Steel has been fined more than $20 million for Clean Air Act violations at its Pittsburgh-area facilities since 2018, and the company recently settled a lawsuit with environmental advocacy groups for about $25 million over more than 12,000 air permit violations in the region.

The company’s failure to maintain its Pennsylvania facilities has resulted in both chronic and acute health problems for communities around the plants.

“It's completely unacceptable and untenable for a community to be subjected to thousands of violations of the Clean Air Act for decades,” Matt Mehalik, executive director of the Breathe Project, a coalition of more than 40 environmental advocacy groups in the region, told EHN.

U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works alone is responsible for up to 66 premature deaths, 41 emergency room visits for respiratory problems, 18,664 asthma symptoms and 5,786 missed school days, according to the report.

The report also found that Allegheny County, which is home to U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works and Edgar Thomson Mill, ranks eighth for health risks among all Pennsylvania counties. Westmoreland County, home to Cleveland-Cliffs Monessen, ranks ninth.

"For decades, communities near steel and coke plants have been forced to choose between their health and good jobs, enduring toxic pollution, chronic illnesses, and premature deaths," Yong Kwon, senior policy advisor for the Industrial Transformation Campaign at the Sierra Club, said in a statement.

National costs of coal-based steelmaking

US steel pollutionU.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works.Credit: Mark Dixon/flickr

Industrious Labs used self-reported industry data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a risk assessment modeling tool from the agency for its report.

Beyond Pennsylvania, the analysis found the 17 remaining coal-based facilities in the U.S. are estimated to cause up to 892 premature deaths, 250,500 cases of asthma symptoms, and $13.2 billion in health costs.

In 2020 alone, these 17 plants released an estimated:

  • 24,400 tons of nitrogen oxides
  • 32,000 tons of sulfur dioxide
  • 9,000 tons of fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
  • 177,000 tons of carbon monoxide, and
  • 7 tons of lead

The EPA is in the process of finalizing new regulations for coke plants meant to curb harmful emissions, but the industry has pushed back against these rules, while health advocates say they aren’t stringent enough.

“The EPA has consistently failed to safeguard the health of these communities from the dangers of coal-based steelmaking,” Lewis said. “It’s time for stronger regulations that recognize the opportunity of cleaner steelmaking technologies and tougher enforcement of penalties on polluters to truly protect public health.”

Many steel companies are shifting toward cleaner steelmaking. About 70% of steel produced in the country is made with electric arc furnaces, which do not use coal, while the remaining 30% still use coal.

But U.S. Steel — and Japan-based Nippon Steel, which is working to acquire U.S. Steel — have both fallen behind when it comes to cleaner steelmaking.

"By embracing cleaner technologies, we can prevent harmful pollution while also securing good jobs in the growing green economy, ensuring that no one has to choose between a healthy environment and a strong livelihood,” said Kwon.

Books on an outdoor bookshelf shaped like a house, with trees in background.
Credit: Gigi/Unsplash

Our annual summer reading list, 2025 edition

Happy 4th of July! Here's what our staff is reading this summer.

Welcome to summer, everyone! Each 4th of July, our staff share a memorable book that they’ve recently read, and this year, like every year, has produced an eclectic, thought-provoking mix. We hope our picks inspire some new additions to your own lists.

Keep reading...Show less
Silhouette of a person on a hill in front of a setting sun.

Major climate change reports vanish from US federal websites, raising transparency concerns

Federal climate reports that help communities plan for extreme weather and rising seas have quietly disappeared from public websites, with little explanation from the Trump administration.

Seth Borenstein reports for The Associated Press.

Keep reading...Show less
a scale with the words Truth/Facts and fake news on it

UN official calls for criminal penalties for fossil fuel disinformation and lobbying bans

The United Nations’ top climate and human rights expert urged governments to criminalize fossil fuel disinformation, ban industry lobbying and ads, and phase out oil, gas, and coal by 2030 to meet their legal obligations under international law.

Nina Lakhani reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
A ship near an iceberg.

EPA staffer’s offhand remark on climate funds fuels political firestorm after secret video sting

A midlevel U.S. Environmental Protection Agency employee was secretly recorded on a Tinder date by a Project Veritas operative, triggering political attacks and agency rollbacks based on a misrepresented comment about clean energy funding.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
silver and black electric oscillating fan in close up photography.
Credit: Roy Muz/Unsplash

Coal use drives sharp rise in U.S. power plant emissions amid summer heat

U.S. power plant emissions have surged to a three-year high, driven by a spike in coal use as utilities scramble to meet rising electricity demand during record summer heat and elevated natural gas prices.

Gavin Maguire reports for Reuters.

Keep reading...Show less
building with vegetation wall.

Cities are quietly outpacing nations in climate progress

Cities worldwide are cutting emissions, greening streets, and adapting to climate threats faster than national governments, according to a new international report.

Matt Simon reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
a herd of cows standing next to each other in a barn, confined in individual metal stalls.

California residents challenge methane policy they say pollutes under the guise of clean energy

Residents in California’s Central Valley are pushing back against a state-backed program that incentivizes methane digesters at industrial dairies, arguing it locks in pollution and worsens environmental health in Latino communities.

Ray Levy Uyeda reports for Prism.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.