U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Plant
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U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Plant, also known as Mon Valley Works Edgar Thomson, U.S. Steel Braddock, is a steel plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania, United States that operates basic oxygen furnace (BOF) and blast furnace (BF) technology.
Location
The map below shows the exact location of the plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania, United States:
- Location: Mon Valley Works, Edgar Thomson Plant, 13th Street and Braddock Avenue, Braddock, Pennsylvania 15104, United States
- Coordinates (WGS 84): 40.39514, -79.859645 (exact)
Background
The U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson plant is one of the oldest steel plants in the country, having been active since 1875. Originally owned by the Carnegie Steel Company, it was sold to U.S. Steel in 1901.
In 2019, U.S. Steel proposed a 1.5 billion USD upgrade project that would have retrofitted three of the Mon Valley steel plants, including the Edgar Thomson steel plant.[1][2]
Since 2023, Three Rivers Waterkeeper environmental group, is urging Pennsylvania regulators to impose stricter water pollution controls on U.S. Steel’s Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, citing ongoing oily discharges into the Monongahela River. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued compliance orders, but spills persist. Three Rivers Waterkeeper calls for real-time monitoring and penalties. U.S. Steel claims it monitors for unwanted discharges, while the DEP has yet to impose fines. The river serves as a drinking water source for a million people.[3]
Following the finalization of the merger between Nippon Steel Corporation and United States Steel Corporation on June 18, 2025, the facility became part of a broader national security agreement with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). This agreement, mandated by a June 13, 2025, executive order, included the establishment of a "Golden Share" for the U.S. government and a commitment by Nippon Steel to invest $11 billion in domestic operations by 2028.
In late 2025, the board approved a new phase of capital investments specifically for the Edgar Thomson facility. These projects include a $100 million slag recycler, scheduled for construction in 2026, which aims to repurpose steelmaking byproducts for the cement industry to reduce landfill waste and air emissions. Additionally, a proposal for a new hot strip mill was announced in November 2025, with permit filings expected in early 2026. As part of the merger commitments, Nippon Steel pledged to maintain the plant's currently operating blast furnaces (No. 1 and No. 3) at full capacity for at least ten years.[4]
Environmental Compliance
In 2017, the local health department and the EPA filed a Notice of Violation against the plant for repeatedly exceeding local air quality standards; however, as of 2022, no follow-up has been reported.[5]
In October 2020, the East Pittsburgh Borough zoning hearing board denied an appeal by a fracking company to have a lapsed permit for a natural gas well at U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson.[6]
In April 2021, the above upgrade project was cancelled and U.S. Steel announced plans to retire their coking coal facilities by 2023, raising controversy around job security and environmental controls at the plant.[7] The company stated that they cancelled the project because they wanted to "reduce carbon emissions and reallocate capital with a focus on sustainability," citing the company's net zero 2050 target[1][8] However, an executive from Mon Valley Works states opposition from environmentalists as being the cause.[9]
In August 2021, a thick plume of black smoke was emitted by the facility which breached local air quality standards. Members of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) have since filed a petition asking for transparency regarding emissions issues at U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Plant.[5]
In May 2022, U.S. Steel agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine for operating the Edgar Thomson plant without functional air pollution controls.[10]
In early 2025, an Allegheny County judge approved a $6.1 million total settlement to resolve a 2022 class-action lawsuit concerning "noxious odors and fugitive dust," consisting of a $1.5 million fund for nearby residents and $4.6 million in dedicated environmental improvement projects on-site.[11]
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Plant Details
Table 1: General Plant Details
| Start date | Workforce size | Coal source |
|---|---|---|
| 1875[12] | 650[13] | Coke supplied from Mon Valley Works Clairton Plant[14] |
Table 2: Ownership and Parent Company Information
| Parent company | Parent company PermID | Parent GEM entity ID | Owner | Owner company PermID | Owner GEM entity ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nippon Steel Corp [100.0%] | 4295877313 [100.0%] | E100000000652 [100.0%] | United States Steel Corp [100%][14] | 4295903049 | E100000001319 [100%] |
Table 3: Process and Products
| Steel product category | Steel products | Steel sector end users | ISO 14001 | Main production equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| semi-finished[14] | slab[14] | automotive, building and infrastructure, tools and machinery[14] | 2022[15] | BF; BOF |
Table 4: Plant-level Crude Steel Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Capacity operating status1 | Basic oxygen furnace steelmaking capacity | Nominal crude steel capacity (total) |
|---|---|---|
| operating | 2600[14] | 2600[14] |
Table 5: Plant-level Crude Iron Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Capacity operating status1 | Blast furnace capacity | Nominal iron capacity (total) |
|---|---|---|
| operating | 2770[16][17][18][19] | 2770[16][17][18][19] |
Table 6: Upstream Products Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Sinter |
|---|
| NF |
Table 7: Actual Plant-level Crude Steel Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Year | BOF production | Other/unknown steel production | Total (all routes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | unknown | unknown | – |
| 2020 | unknown | unknown | – |
| 2021 | 1682[20] | –[20] | 1682[20] |
| 2022 | 1943[20] | –[20] | 1943[20] |
| 2023 | 1898[21] | –[21] | 1898[21] |
| 2024 | 1638[22] | –[22] | 1638[22] |
Table 8: Actual Plant-level Crude Iron Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Year | BF production | Total (all routes) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1921[23] | 1921[23] |
| 2020 | 2066[24] | 2066[24] |
| 2021 | 2078[25] | 2078[25] |
| 2022 | 1700[26] | 1700[26] |
| 2023 | 2200[27] | 2200[27] |
| 2024 | 2300[28] | 2300[28] |
Unit Details
Table 9: Blast Furnace Details
| Unit name | Status | Start date | Furnace manufacturer and model | Current size | Current capacity (ttpa) | Decarbonization technology | Most recent relining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BF 1 | operating[14][29] | 1943[30] | Siemens-Cowper-Cochrane stoves[31] | 1541.0 m3[27] | 1500[18][17] | GTI Energy will partner with U.S. Steel Corporation to advance the ROTA-CAP™ carbon dioxide (CO2) capture system to pilot scale (3 tonnes of CO2 captured/day). The project aims to design, build, and operate an engineering-scale plant at U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson industrial iron and steel production facility in Braddock, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.; Recycle BF gas for use at plant[32][33][13] | 2014-11[34] |
| BF 3 | operating[35] | 1936[30] | Hoogoven[30] | 1380.0 m3[27] | 1270[16][19] | Set to pilot a polymer membrane CCU system with NETL in 2025; Recycle BF gas for use at plant[32][13] | 2001[36] |
Table 10: Basic Oxygen Furnace Details
| Unit name | Status | Start date | Current capacity (ttpa) | Current size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOF F | operating[14] | 1972[37] | 1300[14] | 250.0 tonnes[14][37][13] |
| BOF R | operating[14] | 1972[37] | 1300[14] | 250.0 tonnes[14][37][13] |
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Iron and Steel Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rosenblatt, Lauren (2021-05-01). "Officials bemoan U.S. Steel plans to scrap $1.5B Mon Valley Works upgrade". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Jusko, Jill (2021-05-03). "US Steel Cancels $1 Billion Mon Valley Works Project". Industry Week. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Frazier, Reid (2024-11-14). "Group wants stricter permit for U.S. Steel to stop oily releases into Mon River". The Allegheny Front. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
- ↑ "U. S. Steel Board Advances Capital Investments, Announces New Projects in Pennsylvania and Indiana | Nippon Steel Corporation". www.nipponsteel.com. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "UPDATED | Smoke & Flames at U.S. Steel's Edgar Thomson Plant, More H2S Exceedances Punctuate Need for Regulators to Update Public on 2017 Notice of Violation, Compliance Timeline". GASP. 2021-08-23. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Fracking project at US Steel Plant denied local permit extension, Reid Frazier, Oct. 22, 2020
- ↑ Reisman, Lisa; Hauser, Don (2021-05-10). "The real story behind U.S. Steel's Mon Valley project cancelation". Steel, Aluminum, Copper, Stainless, Rare Earth, Metal Prices, Forecasting | MetalMiner. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
- ↑ Burritt, David B. (May 2021). "AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR PITTSBURGH FAMILY from U.S. Steel President & CEO". US Steel. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Fuoco, Linda (2021-05-03). "In the Mon Valley — where U.S. Steel has canceled major investment — many left wondering what went wrong". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Frazier, Reid (2022-05-17). "U.S. Steel Agrees to $1.5 million fine for Air Polluyion Violations at Edgar Thomson Steel Plant". The Allegheny Front. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Class Action Settlement Benefits Residents Surrounding U.S. Steel Plant - Goldberg, Persky & White, P.C." gpwlaw.com. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210814032953/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Thomson_Steel_Works. Archived from the original on 2021-08-14.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 https://web.archive.org/web/20230516103501/https://www.ussteel.com/documents/40705/71641/USS+Edgar+Thomson+Report+2021.pdf/11df0ed1-5bf7-96b4-1a25-2463238b6545?t=1639598908641. Archived from the original on 2023-05-16.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125024713/https://www.ussteel.com/about-us/locations. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220319195232/https://www.ussteel.com/documents/40705/43704/Mon+Valley+Works+-+ISO+14001.pdf/34914ce0-38ec-f764-0576-c9ce6523cddf?t. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 https://www.aist.org/news/steel-news/2023/february/6-10-feb-2023/u-s-steel-restarts-idled-mon-valley-works-bf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 https://www.davisindex.com/us-steel-restarts-blast-furnace-at-mon-valley/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20230130115736/https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2376811-us-steel-idles-mon-valley-blast-furnace. Archived from the original on 2023-01-30.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20221011212139/https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2371170-us-steel-idles-indiana-blast-furnace. Archived from the original on 2022-10-11.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20230311144635/https://s26.q4cdn.com/153509673/files/doc_financials/2022/ar/2022-Annual-Report.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-03-11.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 (PDF) https://investors.ussteel.com/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0001163302-24-000009/0001163302-24-000009.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 (PDF) https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1163302/000110465925026421/tm255512d2_ars.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 23.0 23.1 https://imis.aist.org/store/detail.aspx?id=PR-RU2020-5.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 24.0 24.1 https://imis.aist.org/store/detail.aspx?id=PR-RU2021-7.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 25.0 25.1 https://imis.aist.org/store/detail.aspx?id=PR-RU2020-2.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 26.0 26.1 https://imis.aist.org/store/detail.aspx?id=PR-RU2023-5.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 https://imis.aist.org/store/detail.aspx?id=PR-RU2024-5.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 28.0 28.1 (PDF) https://www.aist.org/getmedia/2eebb029-7978-49b6-867f-c6bcec31dc3e/204-205-april-2025.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220519230713/https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decree/file/1507226/download. Archived from the original on 2022-05-19.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20220706075458/https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2016/02/uss-edgar-thomson-works-in-braddock-pa.html. Archived from the original on 2022-07-06.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/pcalo-ishc/id/53568/rv/compoundobject/cpd/53614.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 32.0 32.1 https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230919850045/en/NETL-Collaborates-with-U.-S.-Steel-to-Capture-Greenhouse-Gas-at-Edgar-Thomson-Plant.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://netl.doe.gov/project-information?p=FE0032466.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20230323044907/https://songerservices.com/projects/keeping-fires-burning. Archived from the original on 2023-03-23.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20230327102405/https://www.aist.org/news/steel-news/2023/march/20-24-march-2023/u-s-steel-returns-idled-blast-furnace-to-service. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20230606064017/https://old.post-gazette.com/businessnews/20010710blast0710bnp2.asp.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 "2024 AIST Basic Oxygen Furnace Roundup". imis.aist.org. Archived from the original on 2025-03-10. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
