Steel and coke facilities across six U.S. states are repeatedly violating air pollution laws, while the Trump administration’s delay of stricter rules threatens to prolong health risks in surrounding communities.
Brian Bienkowski reports for The New Lede.
In short:
- A new Environmental Integrity Project report found that 17 of the 20 operating U.S. steel and coke plants violated the Clean Air Act in at least one quarter over the past three years, with half in violation all three years.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump has delayed new rules, drafted during the Biden administration, until 2027 that would require fenceline air monitoring and stricter emissions limits.
- These plants emitted nearly 290,000 tons of regulated air pollutants in 2023 and released greenhouse gases equal to 10 million gas-powered cars; some plants emitted high levels of benzene and chromium, both linked to cancer and other serious health harms.
Key quote:
“No emergency response undoes the daily exposure to the hazardous air people here live with.”
— Qiyam Ansari, executive director of Valley Clean Air Now
Why this matters:
Communities living near steel and coke plants are often low-income and have long been exposed to toxic air, including benzene and chromium — pollutants tied to cancer, reproductive harm, and respiratory issues. Delays in federal oversight mean continued unmonitored exposure, particularly for children and older adults living nearby. With fenceline monitoring proven to reduce emissions in similar industries, the refusal to act swiftly on coke and steel plants keeps vulnerable populations in harm’s way.
Related: Air quality scrutiny ramps up after deadly explosion at Clairton Coke works
