CLAIRTON, Pennsylvania — Six months after a series of deadly explosions, US Steel‘s Clairton Coke Works has resumed operations at one of its batteries. The blasts on Aug. 11, 2025, killed two workers and injured several more at the nation’s largest coke manufacturing facility, located in Mon Valley, Pennsylvania.
In a statement, US Steel spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski said the company will restart Battery #13 at its Mon Valley Works Clairton Plant on Thursday.
“The battery has been on hot idle since the August incident to allow for repairs and careful equipment checks. With that work now finished, we’re preparing to safely bring it back into operation,” she told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
The battery is expected to begin producing coke on Friday. Coke is produced in high-temperature ovens arranged in rows called batteries, where coal is heated in an oxygen-free environment.
This facility has been operating for well over 100 years and is the core of the three steel plants that make up the Mon Valley Works, including the Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock and the Irvin Works in Dravosburg.
The explosion occurred mere weeks after President Donald Trump approved US Steel’s $15 billion deal with Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel, bringing hope for the steel communities here in the Mon Valley. The deal was so tremendous that Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) called it a “BFD” and credited the president for his negotiating skills and willingness to engage with the governor’s office.
The tragedy hit the community hard and affected steelworkers at US Steel plants across the country. One week after the fatal accident, steelworkers across all of US Steel’s facilities stopped work and held a moment of silence, bowing their heads in prayer for the two men, Timothy Quinn, 39, of South Huntingdon, and Steven Menefee, 52, of East Huntingdon, who were killed in the blasts.
Shapiro and US Steel CEO David Burritt butted heads over the deal. But they came together after the explosion. Burritt was on the scene immediately, going directly to the heads of safety and manufacturing. Shapiro, who was quick to call and inquire how the governor’s office could assist, arrived the next morning.
Malkowski said the company is focused on operating safely and responsibly during the reopening process.
FAITH SHINED AT THE GRAMMYS, NOT FOUL-MOUTHED SCOLDS
“We’ve notified the Allegheny County Health Department and will stay in close communication as the restart moves forward. Emissions controls will be active and closely monitored as the battery comes back online,” she said.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, steelmakers in the United States closed out 2025 by producing more steel than the previous year and have sustained that rate into 2026. The report showed that U.S. mills produced more than 89.3 million tons of steel through the week ending Dec. 27, 2025, the last full production week. That figure is up 3.4%, compared with the approximately 86.4 million tons made during the same time frame in 2024.