WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald J. Trump has temporarily rolled back key federal emissions requirements on coke oven facilities, issuing a two-year exemption that the administration says is necessary to safeguard America’s steelmaking capacity, national security, and industrial resilience.
In a proclamation signed Friday, the president suspended compliance deadlines in a 2024 Environmental Protection Agency rule that imposed new hazardous-air-pollution standards on coke ovens. Metallurgical coke — a specialized fuel essential to blast furnace steelmaking — supports roughly 70 percent of all domestic steel production.
The administration argues that the EPA rule requires emissions-control technologies that do not yet exist in a commercially viable form, placing operators in an “impossible position” of attempting to engineer unproven systems on accelerated timelines. The White House said the risk of shuttered coke facilities, stalled production, and long-term damage to the steel sector justified the temporary regulatory relief.
“The technology to implement the Coke Oven Rule is not available,” Trump stated in the proclamation. “It is in the national security interests of the United States to issue this exemption.”
Under the proclamation, the stationary sources identified in an accompanying annex will follow pre-2024 emissions standards for the next two years. The administration said the exemption will prevent supply chain disruptions affecting military hardware, construction materials, transportation, and critical infrastructure.
A fact sheet released by the White House emphasized that the Biden-era rule relied on monitoring and testing methods the industry cannot yet implement safely or reliably. Without relief, officials warned, the United States could face diminished steel capacity and increased reliance on foreign producers for core industrial metals.
The administration framed the move as part of a broader strategy to balance environmental protections with economic security. Trump previously issued similar delays for emissions rules affecting copper smelting, coal plants, taconite iron ore processing, and chemical manufacturers tied to defense and semiconductor production.
Trump’s energy and industrial policy has consistently leaned toward regulatory rollback, citing job preservation and national security. The proclamation notes earlier actions, including the repeal of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, a pause on wind energy expansion, and the use of Section 232 tariffs to curb foreign steel imports.
The two-year exemption takes effect immediately, delaying compliance deadlines for all requirements identified in the proclamation’s annex.
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