EPA RCRA ID: PAD004498010
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
The EPA is coordinating cleanup activities at the US Steel MVW Clairton Plant (USS) with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). The EPA is evaluating the cleanup activities and options in order to propose a remedy decision to the public.
To date, USS has implemented several remediation actions including:
- In the Peters Creek Coke Yard Area: installation of a slurry wall, in-situ and ex-situ solidification of the lagoon contents, construction and installation of an impervious cap, installation of a French drain-like collection system, a permanent water treatment plant to collect and treat contaminated groundwater from the drain, quarterly passive manual recovery of light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) via absorbent socks and/or manual hand bailing
- Installing a BTX Trench consisting of a 1,200 feet interceptor trench in the BTX Plant Area to collect and treat contaminated groundwater
- Active recovery wells in the Tar Plant Area to collect and treat contaminated groundwater
- Enhanced Fluid Recovery in the Oil Seep Investigation Area to remove LNAPL
- Manual passive recovery of LNAPL in The Keystone Area
- A collection system in the Mendelssohn Street Storm Sewer to collect and treat contaminated groundwater
The EPA determined the migration of groundwater contamination was under control on September 29, 2021. The EPA determined that human exposures were under control on September 29, 2025. These determinations are documented in EPA’s Environmental Indicators (EIs) as further indicated below.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
|---|
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The USS MVW Clairton Plant is located approximately 20 miles south of Pittsburgh in Clairton, Pennsylvania, and sits along the west bank of the Monongahela River. The largest coke manufacturing facility in the United States, Clairton Plant operates nine coke oven batteries and produces approximately 4.7 million tons of coke annually, serving customers in the commercial coke market as well as U.S. Steel’s steelmaking facilities.
An initial February 12, 1987 Consent Order and Agreement (COA) with PADEP established obligations for USS to remediate and abate contaminated groundwater. Since 1990, USS has taken measures to fulfill its obligations via the installation and sampling of numerous monitoring wells, installation and operation of contaminated groundwater recovery systems, installation and operation of an Early Warning System, and installation of a cap and barrier around the Peters Creek Lagoon. The COA was amended in 2013 to evaluate and update the groundwater recovery systems. Results and information presented in reports required by the COAs include a Groundwater Site Characterization Report (SCR), a Groundwater Monitoring and Control Work Plan (GWMCWP), and Semiannual Compliance Progress Reports.
The most recent Third and Fourth Quarters 2025 Semiannual Compliance Progress Report details:
- USS continues to evaluate treatment options for additionally identified soil and groundwater impacts in the Peters Creek Coke Yard Area
- Required monitoring of all monitoring wells, surface water, and seep locations occurred
- Verification of the continued operation and activities required for the remediation actions discussed above
The EPA has determined the information presented in the Fourth Quarters 2025 Semiannual Compliance Progress Report continues to support the conclusions that the human health exposures and groundwater migration evaluated in the EIs remain under control.
Contaminants at this Facility
As documented in the 2013 COA, USS investigated, determined, and identified areas within the Clairton Plant in which groundwater is contaminated with benzene, toluene, xylene, phenol, cyanide, naphthalene, and LNAPL.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
The need for final Engineering and Institutional Controls is yet to be determined
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
| Control(s) Type | Control(s) in Place? | Areas Subject to Control(s) | Documents available on-line: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) | Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) | |||
| Governmental Controls (GC) | ||||
| Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) | ||||
| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) | Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) | |||
Non-Groundwater | ||||
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.