U.S. Steel puts hold on $1B Clairton project

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | 04-02-2009 | Len Boselovic

[RS_Rider]

U.S. Steel is suspending indefinitely the $1 billion modernization of its Clairton coke plant, a massive, multi-year project that was expected to create more than 600 construction jobs.

The Pittsburgh steel producer said it was forced to make the "difficult but necessary decision" because of the economic slowdown that has prompted it to lay off about 7,000 union workers in recent months.

"We cannot speculate as to when conditions will improve enough to allow work to resume," the company said in a prepared statement.

When announced in November 2007, the project was hailed as the region's largest construction project since Pittsburgh International Airport was completed in 1992. U.S. Steel said it would build two new coke batteries, a plant that would generate electricity from gas produced by the coke-making process, and add state-of-the-art environmental controls to existing operations

[RS_Rider]

I was waiting to hear the, not good news.

[ClearCase_guy]

I won’t hold my breath, but what we need is more captains of industry coming right out and saying: “We had planned a massive development which would have generated hundreds of good jobs, BUT based on the anti-growth policies being pursued in Washington, we cannot go forward. When our government once again respects property rights and free markets and sound money, then we will consider going forward.”

[Avid Coug]

I’ll bet Obama’s cap and trade tax was also a big factor in the project shut down. Adding higher taxes to crippled industries tends to do that.

[Oldpuppymax]

US Steel was frightened and intimidated out of this project and I don’t blame them one bit. Spend a billion dollars and have Hussein declare the final outcome “illegal??” Or perhaps, “nationalize” the completed plant...for THE GREATER GOOD, of course. Husseins plans for the destruction of free enterprise are right on schedule.

[henkster]

McCain told Michigan industrial workers their jobs weren’t coming back. He was crucified in the press. 0bama says the same jobs aren’t coming back and he gets a pass.

Oh, that’s right. 0bama is replacing the U.S. Steel jobs with “green” jobs. That’s right, we’ll take the steelworkers out of the now-closed mills, and give them the poles with the point on the end so they can pick up litter on the highway. It’s a great “green” job.

[RS_Rider]

They are going to idle 7 of the 12 batteries at the plant this spring, I wonder if they will ever start them back up again. Like a blast furnace, they don’t like to be idled.
Also in the news around here, the EPA is testing air quality in the schools that are around this plant.

[chimera]

That's basically what Clinton did at Idaho Lab in the 1990s. Then the mantra was “No NET loss of jobs” at Idaho national lab (sounds like “create OR SAVE 3 million jobs"). So they took Ph.D.-type people who were working on things like advanced nuclear fuels or waste management or the Integral Fast Reactor, gave them the boot, and hired a bunch of high school dropouts and put brooms in their hands and told them to sweep up. But it was no NET loss of jobs, you see (just underemployment).

[NonValueAdded]

Why would anyone in their right mind go forth with a project like that while cap and trade is under consideration by Congress? Reid and Pelosi at the behest of the Obamateur are doing everything in their power to kill the economy.

[Dixiekraut]

Clairton.

That’s near Pittsburgh , right?

Isn’t that where the steelworker and Polish Catholic wedding scenes
for the movie “The Deerhunter” were filmed?

[RS_Rider]

I’m waiting on the current administration to go after the nuclear industry soon. The Pittsburgh area has escaped much of the economic destruction due to strong hiring in the nuclear industry, If they’re going to achieve the goal of killing anything they deem not “Green”, I expect they will not allow this to go on.

[fortunecookie]

Wow. That’s huge for the Burgh.

[MGMSwordsman]

There is still a U.S. Steel company?? Who knew?

[RS_Rider]

I’m not sure about that scene but I know that some of that film was shot in Homestead which is just up the road.
When I was a kid, everything in Clairton was orange from the mill dust. Workers at the plant had to wipe off the windows on their cars after the shift was over, so they could see to drive home. No orange dust now, it just stinks like hell.

[Niuhuru]

I imagine that’s why a lot of companies are simply folding. They don’t want to succeed and build the economy and have the profits and company confiscated and run into the ground again.

[Pietro]

This is bad news indeed.

[RS_Rider]

One of the most primary materials needed to drive an economy.

[jveritas]

The market should rally up 100 point on this news. It seems that the fool at Wall Street are enjoying bad economic numbers.

[numberonepal]

Hank Rearden. Paging Mr. Rearden. Please pick up the white courtesy phone.

[Ditto]

Here's what Homestead Works looked like in the 70s when that film was made.

Here's what it looks like today.

[MSF BU]

Meanwhile, nonunion Nucor plows ahead...