Residents living within a mile of a US Steel plant in Braddock have until March 17 to opt out of a class action settlement over alleged air pollution at the plant.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Alan D. Hertzberg accepted a $1.5 million settlement agreed to by the company and attorneys for those living near the company’s Edgar Thomson Plant.
The original complaint alleged “noxious odors and fugitive dust” emanating from the plant prevented the lead plaintiff, a West Mifflin woman, from using and enjoying her property. The complaint alleged that on some nights, the plaintiff couldn’t breathe because the odor was so bad.
The company, which had been pushing to be acquired by Japan’s Nippon Steel for a reported $15 billion, paid a $1.5 million fine in 2022 for air pollution violations at the plant.
As part of the settlement, the company denied any allegations made against it, and agreed to spend $4.5 million on “ Environmental Improvement Projects” at the plant.
The settlement area includes anyone who lived within a mile of the plant from 2020 onward. The area includes 3700 households in the boroughs of Braddock, North Braddock, and East Pittsburgh, and parts of surrounding municipalities.
Anyone seeking to become part of the class action lawsuit can sign onto the suit by March 31. A hearing on the fairness of the settlement is scheduled for April 15.
