New Boston Coke Corporation

New Boston Coke in 2004.

Once employing nearly 5,000 during its height in the 1950s, its downhill slide occurred towards the 1970s because of intense foreign competition. Continued investment only drove the large steel mill further into bankruptcy and subsequent until its subsequent closure in 1980. By that time, it had only a fraction of the employees. The coke plant remained and became independent before being closed due to massive pollution emission violations.

History

Early beginnings

The beginnings of the steel industry in New Boston began with the plotting of the adjoining city of Portsmouth in 1803 (6). Subsequent discoveries of iron ore in the foothills of southern Ohio, along with vast virgin forest tracts, and the availability of two major rivers, led to the construction of numerous blast furnaces. The district soon became a major iron producing center.

In 1831, the Portsmouth Iron Company was incorporated (2)(6) who constructed a rolling and slitting mill in Portsmouth. The company only lasted three years, however, before failing. It was purchased by Thomas G. Gaylord later in 1834 who remodeled the facility and operated it for 38 years as the Thomas G. Gaylord and Company (6) before being renamed the Gaylord Rolling Mill Company. The industrial business produced boiler plates, sheet iron, bar iron, rivets, cut nails and castings, and a crucible steel facility and open hearth furnace was added soon after the renaming.

In 1869, the property was leased to the Portsmouth Iron and Steel Company for nine years, which was then purchased by the Burgess Steel and Iron Works (6). It operated under that name successfully until a fire destroyed the plant in June 1898 (9).

The move to New Boston

After the fire destroyed the plant in Portsmouth, Levi D. York, President of the steel mill, contemplated options on whether to rebuild the mill on-site or move it to New Boston where he owned land (9). In the end, the new plant was constructed in New Boston (2)(6). Much of the old equipment could be reused (9), although the new facility included four 30-ton open hearth furnaces, two 4-hole soaking pits, a 28-inch bloomer, two plate mills, twelve gas producers, twelve 100-HP dynamos, two 250-HP steam engines, and an 18-inch bar mill (2)(6)(9). The massive steam engines were constructed by the Portsmouth Foundry and Machine Company (9). By November 24, 1898, the rebuilt mill was rolling steel (9), with the plant going into full operation b the spring of 1899.

The upgraded steel mill soon produced 50,000 tons annually with a monthly payroll of $25,000, employing approximately 700 workers (9). The new location featured more space, improved layouts and a larger capacity. The new buildings were constructed of steel and were fire proof. In addition, for the first time in the history of steel making, overhead electrical cranes were used to handle the hot metal and heavy machinery, saving extensive backbreaking labor and preventing injuries and deaths. Locomotives to transport the material within the plant were not used, however, as this was still regulated to the mules.

The plant soon passed to the Crucible Steel Company of America on July 15, 1900 (9) which operated until December 8 when the Crucible Steel Business was eliminated. The new company was having difficulties with the railroad and in obtaining raw materials. As a result, the steel mill was closed for business.

Levi York, who was President of Burgess Steel and Iron Works, heavily criticized the sale of the plant to Crucible Steel. As a result of the criticism, two business men contracted two small steel companies, the Whitaker Iron Works and the Laughlin Nail Works, to assume operations of the closed facility. The plant was purchased in January 1902 (9). Soon after, the city of Portsmouth contributed $20,000 and secured and option for 24 adjoining acres to the east of the industrial plant. In June 1902, the plant was reopened as the Portsmouth Steel Company (2)(6)(9). The reopened business shipped its first carload of product to the Cleveland Rolling Mills on June 18, 1902.

The plant, however, was in dire need of funds and a major overhaul. The Whitaker Iron Works and the Laughlin Nail Works joined with the Portsmouth Steel Company in a major reorganization. The end result was a unified name as the Whitaker-Glessner Company (9), with W.L. Glessner President. In 1908, the steel mill was renamed to the Whitaker-Glessner Portsmouth Works. During the reign of the Whitaker-Glessner Company, seven 60-ton open hearth furnaces were constructed, along with new bar, sheet and jobbing mills. In 1916, a coke plant was constructed, followed by the “Old Susie” blast furnace in 1917 which had a capacity of 800 tons daily (8). With the completion of the blast furnace, integration of the steel mill was complete (6). Just three years later on June 21 (9), the Whitaker-Glessner Company, LaBelle Iron Works, and the Wheeling Steel and Iron Company combined to form the Wheeling Steel Corporation.

Rod and wire mill divisions were added in 1921, the first expansion under the Wheeling Steel Corporation (9). Two years later, wire drawing equipment was installed, followed by additional sheet mills in the following year. By 1937, the steel mill was outputting 500,000 tons annually with a monthly payroll of $500,250 (9) and employed a considerable amount of the residents in New Boston.

In July 1946 (9), the steel mill was sold to a group of Ohio financiers who operated the plant was a fully integrated steel mill. It was renamed the Portsmouth Steel Corporation and proved to be a successful venture. One year after the purchase, the corporation conducted an ‘open house’ of the facility, drawing in 8,000 visitors who toured the plant and its seven new departments that were added after the purchase. Improvements to the plant, such as a remodeled sheet mill in May 1948 at a cost of $5.75 million, modernized the facility (9). By the end of the year, the plant was producing $49 million worth of steel annually and was also considered the most modern wire mill in the United States. The industrial giant employed over 3,800 at that time.

In 1950, the plant was sold to the Detroit Steel Corporation (2)(6)(9). During Detroit Steel’s hold, major expansions and modernizations to the plant were completed to the tune of $150 million. In 1951, the facility was producing 800,000 tons annually and employed 4,800, with the monthly payroll exceeding $1.25 million. The coke plant was rebuilt and modernized in 1965 and was considered the “most modern and complete” in the industry. A new $5 million steam plant was also completed, housing the numerous boilers for the plant. The steam-generating plant would use by-product gas from the adjacent coke plant and blast furnace as a primary fuel, with natural gas and fuel oil being available as supplemental fuels (10).

World War II effort

New Boston was considered an ammunitions mecca during World War II (7). The Wheeling Steel Corporation manufactured some of the army’s largest orders of 250- and 500-lb. bombs, becoming the largest center of production for 500-lb. bombs. After the fall of Germany, veterans of the war visited the plant to encourage the employees and to discourage absenteeism — after all, the Pacific Theater was still ongoing!

Downsizing

By the late 1960s, the steel industry was in a rut. Foreign overseas competition had cut into Detroit Steel’s profits (9) and in 1969, Detroit Steel sold the business to Cyclops Corporation, a Pittsburgh specialty steel producer. The sale of the business was thought to be a smart investment that would keep the plant operating in the face of intense competition, but the writing was on the wall. Gradual shutdowns of the plant began in 1972 (9). On February 22, 1980, the corporation stated that the plant would be closed by May 31. At the time of this announcement, the combined steel mill and coke plant were employing approximately 1200 people. The coke plant, first operated by Wheeling Steel in 1930 (9), was not affected by the job losses, however, Cyclops Corporation was intending to sell it to another company to offset the steel mill’s losses.

“We anticipate the sale of the coke plant as a going operation, but do not foreclose the possibility of selling the entire facility. Proposals from all interested parties will be considered.”
–Cyclops Corporation’s president, W.H. Knoell

The steel mill and coke plant was sold in November 1980 to the McClouth Steel Corporation out of Detroit (9). The coking facility became the New Boston Coke Corporation, a unit of McClouth Steel. By November 1981, however, McClouth faced intense competition for its steel products from intense competition and went into bankruptcy. New Boston Coke Corporation removed itself from the company and became an independent coke supplier based upon contracts. Its success was heightened when it landed a contract with the River Rouge Steel Corporation, a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Corporation (9).

In 1989, most of the former steel plant of the former Detroit Steel Corporation were demolished for a new strip-mall commercial development anchored by a Wal-Mart and a Buy-For-Less grocery store (2).

Environmental issues

In 1997, an EPA report stated that it issued a covenant not to sue the Southern Ohio Port Authority (SOPA) for a portion of the former Empire-Detroit Steel Company in New Boston. The covenant was vital to the sale of the property to OSCO Industries, which had intended to construct a new plant on the remediated site to produce castings for the appliance and automotive industry.

“SOPA’s participation in the state brownfields program is a major step forward for New Boston and Southern Ohio, Lieutenant Governor Nancy P. Hollister said. The restoration of this site will help renew the area’s economic base and provide more than 100 new jobs. This is exactly what the brownfields program is designed.”

During this time, SOPA removed approximately 26,000 cubic yards of soil and waste materials that were contaminated with PCBs, asbestos, and petroleum from the former steel and iron making facilities. It was then confirmed that all cleanup standards were met at the site.

On December 2, 1999, a two-count lawsuit was filed against the New Boston Coke Corporation for violations of nuisance statutes for creating unhealthy air pollution. It also alleged that New Boston Coke was violating air permits issued to it by the Ohio EPA (4). The air pollution was considered worse than some of the largest industrial sites in the United States (12), according to the Ohio EPA. In relation, the company was ordered to clean up thousands of gallons of ammonia liquor and dispose of barrels of chemical waste.

“Benzene levels from the New Boston Coke source and in the outdoor air are unusually high. We are taking this action to ensure the company takes immediate steps to lower emissions and protect public health,” said Ohio EPA Director Chris Jones.

In June 1999, at the request of Ohio EPA and the Portsmouth Local Air Agency, the company tested the coke oven gas being emitted from the facility. The request was made because the company disclosed emissions information for a particular source in 1998 that previously had not been reported.

Because the 1999 test showed unacceptably high levels of benzene, Ohio EPA expedited the completion of an outdoor air toxics study for the area. Data collected from a monitor on the roof of the nearby Portsmouth water treatment plant between 1993 and 1999 also showed high levels of benzene and butadiene — both carcinogens — in the outdoor air.

The injunction also requires a long term-solution — installation of a permanent flare to incinerate all coke oven gas from the previously unreported source — to be in place by December 24, 1999. Failure to install the flare by December 24 will result in penalties of $15,000 per day of violation.

In 2000, New Boston Coke Corporation sold the remaining coke facilities to a startup company, however, the plant was closed in April 2002 (12). Approximately 200 jobs were eliminated (13). On September 28, 2004, a settlement was reached on the contempt charges filed in December of 2002 (5).

The Ohio Attorney General, on behalf of Ohio EPA, has obtained an order from the Scioto County Court of Common Pleas resolving the contempt charges against former New Boston Coke Corporation (NBCC) CEO Fred Dery and former NBCC consultant Gil Mains for failure to clean up the site as stipulated in a December 2002, Scioto County Court order. Dery and Mains, who agreed to resolve the contempt charges, were required to pay $75,000 each. Both have already paid.

In a separate action, also on behalf of the Ohio EPA, the Attorney General has obtained an order through the Scioto County Court that requires DLD One, LLC, a development company in Columbus, to clean up three parcels that were part of NBCC’s operation on U.S. Route 52 in New Boston. DLD One obtained title to the parcels in November 2003, as a part of the NBCC bankruptcy. DLD One will be required to clean up the parcels before any development takes place.

The parcels include a surface gravel parking lot, old boilerhouse, and an electrical substation containing electrical transformers. Contamination from waste and hazardous materials has occurred throughout the NBCC site.

Redevelopment

Redevelopment of the former New Boston Coke site and the Detroit Steel mill that occupied the frontage along US 52 would not come easy. In the spring of 2004, Wal-Mart announced its intention to abandoned the strip mall that was part of the former Detroit Steel mill for property in front of the New Boston Coke Corporation 1/4 mile southeast. Work did not progress due to the hazardous contaminants that remained in the soil that would need to be removed, and the various buildings that still remained on site.

In early 2006, the city of New Boston attempted to purchase redevelop 17 acres west of the proposed Wal-Mart property for Conley Trucking (13)(15). The business wanted to construct a storage and packaging plant for the boat dock along the Ohio River. The dock would allow barges to drop off cargo which would then be shipped via railroad or highway (14). The cleanup for the plant, however, was muddled in debate between the city of New Boston and the Ohio EPA regarding contamination (13). The city wanted to originally purchase 17 acres of land that were “lightly contaminated”, however, the Ohio EPA stated that there was an unknown level of contaminant on the site. The cost of cleaning the land, which formerly handled tar, for the facility was estimated to cost $560,000 to $1 million (13).

Soon after, an agreement was made so that the Port Authority could purchase the land and apply for Clean Ohio funding (16). $1.1 million was spent on cleaning the Wal-Mart property and an additional $1.9 million was spent on the 17-acres west of the Wal-Mart site where Conley Trucking had proposed the storage and packaging plant, now reserved for “an industrial site.”

On August 28, 2006 (16), Wal-Mart broke ground for construction of the new super-center. The 210,000 sq. ft. retail store is expected to open on June 13, 2007 (12), with a Bob Evan’s, Staples, Murphy’s Oil and an unnamed restaurant expected to occupy land adjacent to Wal-Mart.

In March 2007, Total Safety Inc. of South Point, Ohio, was awarded a contract for oversight of structural demolition of the coke plant (11). The primary concern is the liability in keeping the current structures standing and to settle several monetary issues. Demolition work is expected to begin in April with completion in October (11).

Gallery

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Central Structure 1

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Central Structure 2

Chemical Structure 1

Sources

1. “Inside Detroit Steel.” Detroit Steel Corp., Portsmouth Division Nov 1961 (V.11 #11 pp 7-8).
2. Blackburn, Lori. Article.
3. “Ohio Voluntary Action Program Annual Report.” Environmental Protection Agency. June 1997, Article.
4. “State Takes Action.” Environmental Protection Agency. 2 December 1999, Article.
5. “Settlement Reached.” Environmental Protection Agency. 28 September 2004, Article.
6. New Boston Centennial Celebration 2006. Waverly: K&M Printing, 2006.
7. McHelly, Lori. “New Boston was a munitions mecca during World War II.” New Boston Centennial Celebration 2006. pg. 18.
8. “The Blast Furnace.” New Boston Centennial Celebration 2006. pg. 19.
9. Jenkins, Steve. “Iron and Steel Industry in New Boston, Ohio.”
10. “Portsmouth’s $5 Million Steam Plant Is Now Nearing Completion.”
11. “Coke plant contract awarded.” Lawrence Herald (Huntington), March 15, 2007. March 17, 2007.
12. Ottney, Ryan Scott. “New Boston Coke to be razed.” Portsmouth Daily Times, March 13, 2007. March 17, 2007 Article.
13. Barron, Jeff. “Cleanup costs not known.” Portsmouth Daily Times, July 28, 2006. March 17, 2007 Article.
14. Barron, Jeff. “Commission considers river port.” Portsmouth Daily Times, March 21, 2006. March 17, 2007 Article.
15. Barron, Jeff. “City may buy coke plant land.” Portsmouth Daily Times, July 11, 2006. March 17, 2007 Article.
16. Lewis, Frank. “Building phase nears.” Portsmouth Daily Times, August 29, 2006. March 17, 2007 Article.