U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Plant Lawsuit: $6.1M Settlement and Claims

The U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Plant lawsuit settlement is a $6.1 million class action agreement, accepted on February 28, 2025, by Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Alan D. Hertzberg, that resolved claims by residents living within roughly one mile of the Braddock, Pennsylvania steel mill. The suit, Finley v. USX Company, accused U.S. Steel of allowing fugitive dust and noxious odors from the facility to interfere with residents’ use of their homes. The settlement split the money between direct payments to residents who opted in and physical dust-control improvements at the plant.¹

What the Lawsuit Alleged

Lead plaintiff Alissa Finley, a West Mifflin resident, filed the complaint on November 1, 2022, in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County (Case No. GD-22-013483). She sued on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated, alleging that U.S. Steel failed to maintain adequate technology to control noxious odors and fugitive dust at Edgar Thomson and had acted with “reckless indifference to the rights of others.”²

The core claim was nuisance. Residents said drifting dust and foul-smelling air made spending time outdoors or even inside their homes unpleasant, and Finley reported that on some nights the odor was severe enough that she could not breathe.¹

How the $6.1 Million Was Divided

The settlement is not a single payout fund. Only about a quarter of the money goes directly to residents; the rest pays for equipment and site work aimed at reducing dust leaving the plant.

Attorneys’ fees and costs of up to $675,000 were subject to the court’s approval at or after the final fairness hearing, separately from the settlement itself.⁴ Plaintiffs were represented by Liddle Sheets P.C.⁵

Who Could File a Claim

The certified class covered anyone who owned, occupied, or rented residential property with a physical structure located within roughly one mile of the Edgar Thomson facility at any time from November 1, 2020, onward.⁵ That area covered about 3,700 households across Braddock, North Braddock, East Pittsburgh, and parts of neighboring municipalities.¹

This was an opt-in settlement, not a typical opt-out. Eligible residents had to affirmatively sign on to receive any payment. The deadline to opt in or object was March 17, 2025, and claim forms had to be postmarked by March 31, 2025. The final fairness hearing was set for April 15, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Hertzberg.³ Those deadlines have passed; residents who did not submit a claim by March 31, 2025, are not eligible for a payment from this settlement.

U.S. Steel’s Position

U.S. Steel denied all allegations as part of the settlement.¹

Related Litigation

The Finley settlement covers only the Edgar Thomson Plant. A separate and much larger class action, Hernandez v. United States Steel Corporation, involves more than 123,000 residents across 22 Mon Valley communities and stems from a December 24, 2018, fire at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works that disabled pollution control equipment for 102 days. As of a December 2023 court notice, the Hernandez case had been certified as a class action and was proceeding toward potential trial.⁶ Residents affected by the Clairton fire are not covered by the Edgar Thomson settlement and should look to that separate case.

1
Allegheny Front. U.S. Steel Class Action Settlement Edgar Thomson Plant Braddock Air Pollution
2
GASP. Local Resident Files Lawsuit Against U.S. Steel Over Dust, Noxious Odors From Edgar Thomson Facility
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GASP. U.S. Steel To Pay $6.1 Million To Settle Lawsuit Over Dust, Noxious Odors From Edgar Thomson
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Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Notice of Pendency of Class Action Settlement, Finley v. USX Company
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LSC Counsel. Edgar Thomson Class Action Settlement
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Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C. Hernandez v. United States Steel Corporation Long Form Notice