Law firm Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. filed a class action lawsuit Thursday against US Steel in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the residents of Clairton, Pennsylvania, alleges that US Steel operations at the Clairton Coke Works resulted and continue to result in the release of airborne contaminates exposing property and residents to sulfur dioxide; a mix of methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide; and other toxic and hazardous materials.
"Coke Works has released almost 1.2 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the air in the town of Clairton, the highest amount of air toxics released in the last decade," the firm said. "The negligent and illegal release of hazardous and toxic air pollutants demonstrates a reckless indifference to the rights and well-being of the City of Clairton. We are committed to vigorously prosecuting these wrongful actions."
According to a statement from Robert Peirce & Associates, the operations at the plant violate numerous rules, statutes, laws and codes and exceed the permissible level of airborne emission of certain contaminants. According to the Allegheny County Health Department, Clairton Coke Works had 6,700 violations between January 2012 and May 2015. Despite the orders and warnings from health and environmental regulators, US Steel has allegedly failed to remediate or abate its operations accordingly, the firm said. The Plaintiffs are attempting to prohibit this practice, as well as recover for property damage.
Robert Peirce & Associates is working in conjunction with Washington, D.C. law firms Migliaccio & Rathod, LLC and Nidel & Nace, PLLC.