The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency worked closely with coke manufacturers to delay new benzene pollution rules, excluding public input while giving industry two more years to comply.
Sean Reilly reports for E&E News.
In short:
- Internal records show EPA officials collaborated with coke industry representatives to justify postponing benzene monitoring rules, without alerting the public or holding a standard comment period.
- The delay came through an “interim final rule,” a legal shortcut meant for emergencies, which pushed compliance to 2027 and paused other pollution controls.
- Communities near coke plants — often low-income and predominantly people of color — face cancer risks 26% higher than the national average due to toxic emissions.
Key quote:
“These facilities release hundreds of different types of toxics that could be contributing to those numbers.”
— Hilary Lewis, steel director at Industrious Labs
Why this matters:
Coke production, a critical step in traditional steelmaking, emits a stew of hazardous chemicals including benzene, cyanide, and ammonia — some of which are linked to cancer and other serious health effects. Most of the remaining coke plants in the U.S. are decades old, concentrated in industrial areas where nearby residents often lack resources or political clout to fight back. These communities, disproportionately low-income and nonwhite, bear the brunt of toxic exposure while regulators frequently delay or weaken safeguards under industry pressure. EPA's decision to quietly extend deadlines for monitoring benzene, a known carcinogen, means families living near these facilities will continue to breathe polluted air with little warning or recourse. Environmental groups have sued to block the rule, but legal resolutions take time. Meanwhile, emissions continue unchecked.
Related EHN coverage: Western Pennsylvania environmental groups seek more monitoring of cancer-causing benzene
