Brewster, Costa, Kortz, Davis receive update during morning conference call

McKeesport – January 25, 2019 – State Sens. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland), Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and state Reps. Bill Kortz (D-Allegheny) and Austin Davis (D-Allegheny) received an update from officials from the Allegheny County Health Department concerning the Dec. 24 fire at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works.

The update was provided during a morning conference call. 

“We had a discussion with Dr. Karen Hacker and her team at the health department about the fire and its aftermath,” Brewster said.  “Conversations will continue at a public meeting on February 7 at the Clairton Municipal Building.”

Brewster said the discussion focused on proper community notification procedures, air quality monitoring, improving communications and emergency response.  He said the county officials pledged that these issues would be covered at the February public meeting. 

The fire damaged the coke work’s gas processing system.  The fire and response were the focus of a public meeting held in Clairton earlier this week.

Brewster said that additional information would be available at a public meeting, which is a joint Senate-House Democratic Policy Committee hearing, scheduled for Feb. 7 beginning at 12 noon at the municipal building, 551 Ravensburg Boulevard, Clairton.

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