Steel Component Plant Linked to West Virginia Governor Signs $1M Pollution Pact
Steel Component Plant Linked to West Virginia Governor Signs $1M Pollution Pact
Abstract
The plant heats coal to produce coke and recovers the by-products, volatile organic compounds, that it sells as crude coal tar, light oil and aluminum sulfate. ProPublica said in a September report that industry experts familiar with the plant estimate it would cost more than $150 million to rebuild and operate the plant. The consent order will provide the certainty that the company needs to evaluate the plant's future, said an attorney for Gov. Justice. "Despite investing tens of millions of dollars in long-deferred maintenance, Bluestone was unable to fully overcome those challenges and it ultimately concluded that only a rebuild would allow the plant to operate profitably and in compliance with environmental requirements," attorney Steve Ruby told ProPublica. In denying the plant's operating permit in 2021, the Jefferson County, Ala., Board of Health found that, Bluestone "Has not shown that its machines and equipment are expected to operate without emitting air contaminants, and ... has demonstrated that it is unable to operate its machines and equipment in compliance with the regulations."The permit denial followed years of citations for permit violations, including hazardous emissions from leaking coke ovens. Air samples collected by two environmental advocacy groups, the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Air Pollution, found elevated levels of benzene and naphthalene. Half of Bluestone's $925,000 penalty must fund green spaces and clear blight in communities adjacent to the plant.