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LTV coke plant pollution is topic of meeting
Monday, February 16, 1998 By Don Hopey, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
A decision on what, if anything, LTV will be required to do to reduce air pollution from its Hazelwood coking plant could be made as early as Monday.
LTV wants to close the plant, arguing that the old plant has reached the end of its productive life. The United Steelworkers has challenged LTV's plans.
Arbitrator Elizabeth Neumeier will meet with LTV and the union Monday to decide if the plant maintenance plan she required the company to submit to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Jan. 12 is adequate.
The closed-door hearing was requested by the union, which contends LTV's proposed maintenance plan fails to meet obligations to improve the 80-year-old plant's environmental performance.
LTV readily admits the maintenance proposal it submitted Jan. 20 will not extend the life of the plant or reduce emissions enough for the plant to comply with federal pollution standards, but meets the conditions of the arbitrator's order.
"We believe we've complied with the arbitrator's award as the arbitrator wrote it," Mark Tomasch, an LTV spokesman said. "Our proposal deals with routine maintenance and in some parts went beyond that maintenance level."
The LTV proposal does not include any major capital investments or equipment replacements recommended by the EPA in October, but Tomasch said the company wasn't required to do that by the arbitrator's order.
He said the coke works' noncompliance with federal air pollution standards "is a result of the plant being worn out," and the only way to put it into compliance was to "tear down the plant and build a new one."
The company has no plans to amend its original maintenance proposal, and has requested a decision from the EPA by Feb. 20 on the adequacy of that proposal.
"The physical reality of Hazelwood is that it is a worn out piece of equipment," Tomasch said. "We've had a number of people come in and look at it with the idea to purchase and operate it, and have had no offers. Two wrote back and said 'Thanks, but no thanks.' We think that confirms that it's reached the end of its useful life."
LTV announced plans to close the coking operation in July. The USW, aiming to keep the plant open and save the jobs of 750 employees, filed a grievance under its contract sending the dispute to the arbitrator.
The meeting Monday comes after a week in which company and union met in Washington, D.C., with Department of Justice officials and consulted with the arbitrator.
The coke plant is currently operating 255 coke ovens, 19 of those without smoke and soot controls while repairs are made to pollution equipment.
Pollution levels are up, but Allegheny County Health Department air quality monitors near the plant have not recorded any violations of federal particulate or nitrous oxide emission standards.
Staff writer Jim McKay contributed to this report.
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