The conservancy said it’s an important strip of land to protect along the Clarion, a National Wild and Scenic River which is coming back from two centuries of logging and other heavy industry.

The steel industry accounts for around 8 percent of the world’s CO2 emissions. One industry observer says companies see that countries may soon enact policies to cut carbon and deal with climate change.

US Steel says it spent $300 million on environmental improvements on the site since the fire, and is in favor of some enhanced public communication system. 

The proportion of wells built within the 500-foot distance of a building fell from 8.6 percent of wells prior to the law to 5.7 percent after. But the study’s authors said that trend was already occurring before the law was passed.

Some residents and environmental groups had fought the effort for years.

The Philadelphia, Lancaster and Berks County areas also received poor grades; the Harrisburg area received passing grades. 

In Pennsylvania and elsewhere, coal jobs have disappeared as utilities move to cheaper natural gas. Now some worry that ambitious climate goals — and cheaper wind and solar — mean oil and gas jobs will be the next to go.