Steel Component Plant With Ties to West Virginia Governor Agrees to $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. Bluestone Coke has been idle since October 2021 and may not operate again until it is rebuilt to an "Undetermined" degree, the agreement said. 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. Half of Bluestone's $925,000 penalty must fund green spaces and clear blight in communities adjacent to the plant.