US Steel Corp, the largest integrated steelmaker in the United States, has announced the idling of three of its 12 coke oven batteries at the company's Pennsylvania-located Clairton Works. The imminent idling of these batteries will reduce the plant's coke output by 25 percent.
US Steel spokeswoman Erin Dipietro did not comment on the date that production will cease or the number of employees that will be affected. However, she explained that the lack of steel demand is the reason for halting the production and that the market conditions will indicate when to resume it. The batteries are to be kept hot-idle, which is a status that helps maintain structural integrity while coke production is idled. It takes about two weeks to complete the hot-idling process.
Andrew Miklos, president of United Steelworkers Local 1557, said they will be idling batteries 13, 14 and 15. Mr. Miklos, who represents 1,254 employees at the Clairton Works, also declined to comment on the number of employees to be affected.
Clairton Works, located about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh in Clairton, Pennsylvania, is the largest coke manufacturing facility in the nation, producing about 4.7 million net tons of coke annually for both US Steel's steelmaking facilities and to sell in the commercial coke market. Nine of the coke batteries at Clairton Works are owned and operated by US Steel while the remaining three are owned by the Clairton 1314B Partnership LP, and operated by US Steel.