Berger Montague Announces Investigation of U.S. Steel Plant Explosion at Clairton Coke Works

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger Montague, a leading national plaintiffs' law firm long known for representing clients who have been harmed by environmental disasters, together with Fishman Haygood LLP, have announced that they have opened an investigation of Monday's tragic explosion at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works plant located in Clairton, Pennsylvania, about fifteen miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The explosion left two employees of the plant deceased and injured at least ten others. The explosion may have also caused the dispersion of harmful chemicals and particulate matter into the surrounding atmosphere, forcing nearby residents to remain indoors for their own safety. The plant employs around 1,300 workers.

It was reported that environmental groups and nearby residents have previously complained about deficient maintenance at the plant, including a past fire and power outages, with U.S. Steel agreeing to pay more towards environmental projects resulting from those incidents. The blast ignited shortly before 11:00 a.m. between two coke oven batteries at the Clairton Coke Works plant, which is owned by U.S. Steel. The plant annually produces millions of tons of commercial coke, a type of fuel used in steel production, and is considered the largest coking operation in North America. U.S. Steel, whose acquisition by Nippon Steel closed in June 2025, has acknowledged that the incident involved two batteries and that both have since been shut down, but the cause of the explosion currently remains unknown.

Berger Montague and Fishman Haygood attorneys are investigating the incident and those that may be responsible, as well as the extent of the potential harm to those impacted and the surrounding community. Coke dust and particulate matter in the air can have negative health impacts when inhaled, and can also settle and contaminate properties, water, and environmental resources. Berger Montague and Fishman Haygood encourage anyone with serious or minor injuries, and anyone with information related to the incident, to contact the legal team by calling 1-800-424-6690, or by emailing [email protected]. Additional information concerning the investigation can be found here.

Berger Montague is one of the nation's preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. The firm is a leader in the fields of antitrust, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities, and whistleblower cases, among many other practice areas. For over 55 years, Berger Montague has played leading roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $50 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago; Malvern, PA; Minneapolis; San Diego; San Francisco; Toronto, Canada; Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE.

For more information, contact:

Amy Wall-Monte, Marketing Director
Telephone: (215) 875-3021
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Berger Montague