EPA reverses stance on coke oven rules that U.S. Steel called unachievable
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
EPA reverses stance on coke oven rules that U.S. Steel called unachievable
The Pittsburgh steelmaker sought a presidential exemption in March, which is pending
ANYA LITVAK
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
alitvak@post-gazette.com
OCT 7, 2025 9:11 AM
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is allowing implementation of a 2024 hazardous air pollution rule that imposed new emission control and monitoring requirements on facilities like U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, a few months after seeking to delay and rework it.
The hazardous air pollution rule called for fenceline monitoring for benzene to begin this year and for stricter limits on air emissions to go into effect in January 2026. But citing opposition from companies that operate coke ovens and integrated steelmaking plants subject to the rule, the EPA in July delayed its implementation by two years, until July 2027.
At the time, the agency said it had “serious concerns that, without the installation of additional controls that may be unavailable or infeasible, industry would be unable to comply.” … U.S. Steel has previously argued that the cost to install new pollution controls would be “exorbitant and would not be assured of achieving compliance with the final limits.”
But the EPA reversed course late last week and wrote that after soliciting feedback and hearing from stakeholders, the agency said it no longer believes that “regulated parties would face significant immediate compliance challenges.” So it finalized the 2024 rule. … Environmental groups that sued the EPA in August over this matter celebrated the decision.
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Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/business/powersource/2025/10/07/epa-coke-ovens-us-steel/stories/202510060069