Pittsburgh & Allegheny Co. leaders search for solutions after U.S. Steel cancels billion dollar investment

PITTSBURGH — In 2019, U.S. Steel announced a $1.2 billion investment project for their Mon Valley facilities.

The project was supposed to create and protect hundreds of jobs.

However, due to the company’s announcement last Friday to scrap the upgrades, the future of the Mon Valley is uncertain, and local and state lawmakers are trying to get U.S. Steel to reconsider their decision.

“This is why we’re here. That’s why these industries, these mills were built up, to get their product out. Good hard working people,” said St. Sent Jim Brewster, D-Allegheny County.

The aerial photos State Senator Jim Brewster shared with the public on Friday are from 18 years ago, where you could see the Mon Valley full of activity.

In 2019, after years of decline, a sense of optimism returned when the company announced a billion dollar plan, to upgrade their factories and invest in the community.

But that optimizing vanished last week, when U.S. Steel shelved their plan.

“Not just the steel worker jobs I’m concerned about, but the millions of man hours in labor work to do the refurbishing and upgrades,” said Brewster.

Brewster is still hoping U.S. Steel will salvage portions of the project and has proposed a meeting with company executives, Governor Tom Wolf and Allegheny County leaders.

Channel 11 reached out to both the state and county for comment, both tell Aaron Martin the door remains open to find a path forward.

U.S. Steel responded to Channel 11′s inquiry about the project, which appeared to close the door on restarting the upgrades.

“We are seeking partnerships with industry, innovation, and government leaders to reimagine what the Mon Valley complex could look like in the sustainable future to come. As U. S. Steel takes these steps forward to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world, we made the final decision to set aside this project and have set our sights set on the future of the Mon Valley Works.”

Sen. Brewster is still organizing a meeting with stakeholders, a process he believes is in the best interest of the Mon Valley communities.

“We still have the future of those three facilities, and we can’t have this process surface again,” said Brewster.

Many caught off guard as U.S. Steel scraps plans to invest $1 billion in Mon Valley facilities

Cox Media Group