WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has withdrawn its earlier decision to delay enforcement of air pollution standards for coke oven facilities, reinstating the 2024 rule that requires new air monitoring. The reversal follows a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice and the Environmental Integrity Project on behalf of community and public health advocates who challenged the agency’s July 2025 rollback.

Coke ovens, which burn coal to produce the fuel used in traditional blast furnaces, release a range of carcinogens and toxic air pollutants, including benzene, lead, mercury, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Many of these facilities are located in industrial corridors across Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Alabama, regions where families have long borne the brunt of harmful emissions.

According to analysis from Industrious Labs, the nation’s 17 coal-based steel and coke plants contribute to up to 892 premature deaths and over 250,000 asthma attacks each year, at a cost of $6.9 to $13.2 billion in health-related damages and $137 million in lost workdays annually. According to the report, residents living near coke plants—who are often low-income and disproportionately people of color—face cancer risks 26% higher than the national average due to exposure to air toxics.

In response to the EPA’s withdrawal, Hilary Lewis, Steel Director at Industrious Labs, said:

“This is a long-overdue victory for coal-based steel communities that have fought for decades to breathe clean air. EPA’s backpedaling affirms what residents and advocates have said for years: coke ovens can and must do more to protect public health.”

EPA affirmed its prior finding that coke ovens are fully capable of complying with the 2024 rule, acknowledging that delaying compliance was never needed. The decision reflects years of organizing and legal advocacy by frontline communities and their allies, restoring safeguards for residents who have long demanded stronger oversight of the coke industry’s toxic operations.

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About Industrious Labs:

Industrious Labs is focused on scaling campaigns and building a movement to clean up heavy industry through network and capacity building, research and analysis, data-driven campaigns, and sharp communications.