Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation — Corporate Overview

Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation (1968-2007) was formed by the 1968 merger of Wheeling Steel Corporation (a Wheeling WV integrated steelmaker whose corporate lineage traced to 1832) and Pittsburgh Steel Company (a Monessen PA integrated producer founded 1901). At its peak the combined company was one of the largest steel producers in the Upper Ohio Valley, with headquarters in Wheeling WV / Steubenville OH and integrated flat-rolled and long-products operations across the Ohio River corridor.

Principal Wheeling-Pittsburgh operations included the Steubenville OH Works (blast furnaces, coke ovens, BOF steelmaking), the Mingo Junction OH Works (blast furnaces, BOF, hot-strip mill), the Yorkville OH Works (finishing / galvanizing), the Follansbee WV Works (coke ovens, blast furnace, byproducts), the Beech Bottom WV Works (electrolytic tin plate), the Monessen PA Works (blast furnaces, coke ovens, rod and wire), and the Allenport PA Works (cold-reduction / sheet finishing). Wheeling-Pittsburgh filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy four separate times between 1985 and 2003 amid the collapse of the U.S. integrated-steel industry, was acquired by Esmark Inc. in 2007, and was ultimately sold to OAO Severstal later that year, integrated into what is today Cleveland-Cliffs Steel.

Documented ACM Footprint

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel — and its predecessor Wheeling Steel and Pittsburgh Steel operations — exposed the mill workforce to asbestos through the following documented pathways:

  • Integrated mill asbestos-refractory brick and monolithic castable allegedly used in blast furnace hearths, BOF and open hearth vessels, and reheat furnace linings at Steubenville, Mingo Junction, Monessen, and Follansbee
  • Asbestos-fabric ladle covers allegedly used above hot-metal transfer ladles and teeming ladles across BOF and open-hearth operations
  • Asbestos-block lagging allegedly applied to reheat furnace walls, soaking pit covers, and coke oven doors at the Steubenville, Mingo Junction, Monessen, and Follansbee coke and hot-mill complexes
  • Asbestos pipe covering allegedly installed on steam mains, hot-water and process piping across mill areas and on powerhouse steam and turbine piping at every Wheeling-Pittsburgh works
  • Asbestos-gasket materials allegedly used at flanges throughout blast-furnace stove piping, BOF hood ductwork, and coke oven byproducts recovery lines
  • Asbestos-cement roofing and siding allegedly used on multiple mill outbuildings during mid-20th-century construction

Workers Allegedly Exposed

  • Bricklayers (BAC) installing and tearing out allegedly asbestos-containing refractory brick in blast furnace hearths, BOF and open-hearth vessels, and reheat furnaces at Steubenville, Mingo Junction, Monessen, and Follansbee
  • Insulators (HFIAW) applying and stripping asbestos pipe covering and block on mill steam distribution and powerhouse piping
  • Pipefitters (UA) and boilermakers breaking asbestos-gasketed flanges on mill piping and rebuilding powerhouse boilers
  • Millwrights and mechanical maintenance rebuilding rolling-mill drives, reheat furnace pushers, and coke oven mechanicals
  • Coke oven workers and byproducts operators at the Follansbee WV and Monessen PA coke and byproducts complexes
  • Electricians (IBEW) working on plant switchgear, motor-control centers, and reheat furnace controls
  • Wheeling-Pittsburgh operators, general laborers, and USW maintenance personnel across all Ohio River Valley works

If You Worked at Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel

If you or a family member worked at a Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation integrated mill — Steubenville OH, Mingo Junction OH, Yorkville OH, Follansbee WV, Beech Bottom WV, Monessen PA, or Allenport PA — or at predecessor Wheeling Steel or Pittsburgh Steel operations before 1980 and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Plants by State

Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation operated integrated mills across multiple U.S. states. Detailed premises information is available on the following state jobsite pages: