“The Clairton steel mill first began operations in that year and the idea of building a town followed.”The town sprang up around the mill and was named for the company that originally owned it, the St. Clair Steel Company. In 2021, PennEnvironment named the Coke Works the most toxic air polluter in Allegheny County, responsible for 60 percent of the county’s air pollution emissions from industrial sites. To Meade, the Coke Works’ spewing smokestacks are a reminder of the town’s indifference toward its citizens’ well-being, 40 percent of whom are African American. Meade also disagrees with the common contention from industry supporters that the Coke Works is vital to the region’s economy and to Clairton’s survival. During her turn to speak, Meade asked the health department to “please consider our public health.
