EPA reverses stance on coke oven rules that U.S. Steel called unachievable

Anya Litvak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Oct 7, 2025

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Oct. 7—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.

"As a win for the legitimacy of the public participation process, this represents a significant victory," Lawrence Hafetz, legal director for the Clean Air Council, said in a statement. "Though industry may continue to seek presidential exemptions to ensure continued profits at our expense, it's critical we hold the EPA's feet to the fire and ensure they enforce their own rules and regulations."

U.S. Steel sought a presidential exemption from this rule in March. The company said on Monday that the request is still pending.

"U.S. Steel is committed to working with the EPA and supports regulations that are well-grounded in law; and are based on sound science, available and proven technology, and that consider costs and other non-air quality impacts," the company said. "Unfortunately, the 2024 coke rules do not meet these criteria, and we are evaluating next steps.

"Meanwhile, our Mon Valley Works environmental teams are working on plans and logistics toward compliance with the regulations."

The company noted that the EPA may still choose to revise the 2024 rule and that U.S. Steel will be engaged in "continuing discussions with the agency."

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