One killed in explosion at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works

A contractor working at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works was killed in an explosion today that sent another contractor to the hospital, officials said.

The explosion at 11:26 a.m. occurred in the byproducts area for the coke batteries, arrays of ovens where coal is baked into coke for steel-making, according to Allegheny County emergency and health officials.

Nicolas Revetta, 32, of Clairton died at Jefferson Regional Hospital.

The other victim, who has not been identified, was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital, which often treats burn victims. His condition was not available.

"We heard this big boom," said Dan Benson, 56, of Manor, an employee at the coke works for 16 years who was on his lunch break when it occurred. "You knew something went down. It was like two trains colliding and you could see the smoke."

Employees said the injured men worked for Power Piping Co. in Lawrenceville, which specializes in installing industrial pipes and high-pressure equipment. The company declined to comment.

U.S. Steel has its own fire department, which responded to the scene. A company spokeswoman, citing privacy laws, said she could not reveal the injured worker's identity. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration was notified.

"Safety is our company's top priority, and a full investigation into the incident will be undertaken in cooperation with the union," U.S. Steel spokeswoman Courtney Boone said in a statement.

The Allegheny County Health Department was notified within an hour of the explosion and sent an inspector to the scene. The coke works, the nation's largest, had higher than normal air pollution after the explosion because of the fire, a health department spokesman said.

"It doesn't appear to have a significant effect on air quality right now," said spokesman Dave Zazac, adding that no special warnings were issued about breathing the air. "There should be no long-lasting impact."

Workers were told to return to their stations after the fire, an employee said. Family members gathered outside the coke works to find out if they knew the injured employees.

A guard told Cindi Jones, 52, of Donora that her husband, Jeff Jones, 55, was not one of the two people injured.

"I panicked a little bit," she said. "I knew that two people in this whole place is not big in the scheme of things, but I had to come here to find out.