Document

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Coke Ovens: Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks, and Coke Oven Batteries; Residual Risk and Technology Review, and Periodic Technology Review

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking interim final action on revisions to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Coke ...

Environmental Protection Agency
  1. 40 CFR Part 63
  2. [EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085, EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051; FRL-8471.1-03-OAR]

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Interim final rule; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking interim final action on revisions to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Coke Oven Batteries (COB) source category and the Coke Ovens: Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks (PQBS) source category by revising certain compliance deadlines for standards finalized in 2024. Specifically, the EPA is amending the compliance deadlines for certain 2024 revisions to the COB and PQBS NESHAPs from July 7, 2025 and January 6, 2026, to July 5, 2027. The EPA seeks comment on this final action and will respond to comments received and revise this final action as appropriate.

DATES:

This interim final rule is effective on July 8, 2025. Comments on this rule must be received on or before August 7, 2025.

ADDRESSES:

You may send comments, identified by Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085 (Coke Ovens: Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks source category) and EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051 (Coke Oven Batteries source category) by any of the following methods:

  • Federal eRulemaking Portal:https://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
  • Email:. Include Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085 or EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051 in the subject line of the message.
  • Fax: (202) 566-9744. Attention Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085 or EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051. ( printed page 29998)
  • Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center, Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085 or EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460.
  • Hand/Courier Delivery: EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. The Docket Center's hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays).

Comments received may be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. For detailed instructions on sending comments, see the “Public Participation” heading of the General Information section of this preamble.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

U.S. EPA, Attn: Jonathan Witt, Mail Drop: D243-04, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12055, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-5645; email address: .

Preamble acronyms and abbreviations. Throughout this document the use of “we,” “us,” or “our” is intended to refer to the EPA. We use multiple acronyms and terms in this preamble. While this list may not be exhaustive, to ease the reading of this preamble and for reference purposes, the EPA defines the following terms and acronyms here:

AG acid gases

APA Administrative Procedure Act

B/W bypass/waste heat

CAA Clean Air Act

CBI Confidential Business Information

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

COB coke oven batteries

COETF Coke Oven Environmental Task Force

CRA Congressional Review Act

D/F dioxins and furans

EIA economic impact analysis

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

FR Federal Register

HAP hazardous air pollutant(s)

HBEL health-based emission limit

HCl hydrochloric acid

HCN hydrogen cyanide

HF hydrogen fluoride

HNR heat and nonrecovery ( i.e., no chemical recovery), or nonrecovery with no heat recovery

HRSG heat recovery steam generator

MACT maximum achievable control technology

NESHAP national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants

NTTAA National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act

OAQPS Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

OMB Office of Management and Budget

PAH polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

PM particulate matter

PRA Paperwork Reduction Act

PQBS pushing, quenching, and battery stacks

RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act

RtC response to comments

RTR risk and technology review

tpy tons per year

UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

VOHAP volatile organic HAP

Organization of this preamble. The information in this preamble is organized as follows:

I. General Information

A. Public Participation

B. Potentially Affected Entities

C. Statutory Authority

D. Judicial Review and Administrative Review

II. Regulatory Revisions

A. COB and PQBS NESHAPs Background and Summary

B. Petitions for Reconsideration

C. Compliance Challenges

D. Specific Regulatory Revisions

III. Rulemaking Procedures

IV. Request for Comment

V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review

B. Executive Order 14192: Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation

C. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)

D. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)

E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA)

F. Executive Order 13132: Federalism

G. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments

H. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks

I. Executive Order 13211: Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use

J. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)

K. Congressional Review Act (CRA)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Public Participation

Submit your written comments, identified by Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085 or EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051, at https://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or by the other methods identified in the ADDRESSES section. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from the docket. The EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit to the EPA's docket at https://www.regulations.gov any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. This type of information should be submitted as discussed in the Submitting CBI section of this preamble. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission ( i.e., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). Please visit https://www.epa.gov/​dockets/​commenting-epa-dockets for additional submission methods; the full EPA public comment policy; information about CBI or multimedia submissions; and general guidance on making effective comments.

Submitting CBI. Do not submit information containing CBI to the EPA through https://www.regulations.gov. Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information on any digital storage media that you mail to the EPA, note the docket ID, mark the outside of the digital storage media as CBI, and identify electronically within the digital storage media the specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version of the comments that includes information claimed as CBI, you must submit a copy of the comments that does not contain the information claimed as CBI directly to the public docket through the procedures outlined in the Public Participation section of this preamble. If you submit any digital storage media that does not contain CBI, mark the outside of the digital storage media clearly that it does not contain CBI and note the docket ID. Information not marked as CBI will be included in the public docket and the EPA's electronic public docket without prior notice. Information marked as CBI will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 2.

Our preferred method to receive CBI is for it to be transmitted electronically using email attachments, File Transfer Protocol, or other online file sharing services ( e.g., Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive). Electronic submissions must be transmitted directly to the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) CBI Office at the email address and, as described above, should include clear CBI markings and note the docket ID. If assistance is needed with submitting large electronic files that exceed the file size limit for email attachments, and if you do not have your own file sharing service, please email ( printed page 29999) to request a file transfer link. If sending CBI information through the U.S. Postal Service, please send it to the following address: U.S. EPA, Attn: OAQPS Document Control Officer, Mail Drop: C404-02, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12055, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, Attention Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085 or EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051. The mailed CBI material should be double wrapped and clearly marked. Any CBI markings should not show through the outer envelope.

B. Potentially Affected Entities

As defined in the Initial List of Categories of Sources Under Section 112(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (see 57 FR 31576, July 16, 1992) and Documentation for Developing the Initial Source Category List, Final Report (see EPA-450/3-91-030, July 1992), the Coke Oven Batteries (COB) source category includes emissions from the batteries themselves. The Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks (PQBS) source category includes emissions from pushing and quenching operations, and from battery stacks at a coke oven facility. A coke oven facility is defined as a facility engaged in the manufacturing of metallurgical coke by the destructive distillation of coal. The 2022 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the COB source category (40 CFR part 63, subpart L) is 324199 for “All Other Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing,” and for the PQBS source category (40 CFR part 63, subpart CCCCC) is 331110 for “Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing.” The information provided in this section is not intended to be exhaustive but rather provides a guide for readers regarding the entities that this action is likely to affect. The revised compliance dates are directly applicable to the affected sources. Federal, State, local, and Tribal government entities will not be affected by this interim final action. Based on the information we have, there are 11 operating coke manufacturing facilities subject to these national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP). If you have questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

C. Statutory Authority

Statutory authority to issue the amendments finalized in this action is provided by the same Clean Air Act (CAA) provisions that provided authority to issue the regulations that set the compliance deadlines being amended in this action: CAA section 112, as amended (42 U.S.C. 7412). Statutory authority for the rulemaking procedures followed in this action is provided by Administrative Procedure Act (APA) section 553(b)(B), 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) (good cause exception to notice-and-comment rulemaking).

D. Judicial Review and Administrative Review

Under CAA section 307(b)(1), judicial review of this final action is available only by filing a petition for review in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by September 8, 2025. Under CAA section 307(b)(2), the requirements established by this final rule may not be challenged separately in any civil or criminal proceedings brought by the EPA to enforce the requirements.

II. Regulatory Revisions

A. COB and PQBS NESHAPs Background and Summary

The COB NESHAP (40 CFR part 63, subpart L), promulgated on October 27, 1993, established standards for emissions from doors, lids, and offtakes at heat and/or nonrecovery (HNR) facilities and any new coke production process with by-product chemical recovery facilities. The PQBS NESHAP (40 CFR part 63, subpart CCCCC), promulgated on April 14, 2003, established emissions standards for pushing coke out of ovens, quenching hot coke, and battery stacks of oven combustion. The risk and technology review (RTR) for the 1993 COB NESHAP was completed on April 5, 2005. In the most recent action, finalized July 5, 2024, the EPA completed a periodic technology review for the COB NESHAP, and an RTR for the PQBS NESHAP, that resulted in amendments to these rules (89 FR 55684) (the “Coke Ovens rule”), which included: (1) maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards to address previously unregulated emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) from the PQBS source category pursuant to our interpretation of Louisiana Environmental Action Network v. EPA, 955 F.3d 1088 (D.C. Cir. 2020) (“ LEAN ”); and (2) revised emissions standards based on new information regarding developments in practices, processes, and control technologies pursuant to CAA section 112(d)(6).

Relevant to this action, the Coke Ovens rule finalized the following standards in the COB source category pursuant to CAA section 112(d)(6): (1) fenceline monitoring requirements; (2) revised leak standards for doors, lids, and offtakes; and (3) revised pressure monitoring requirements for oven doors at HNR facilities. In addition, the Coke Ovens rule finalized the following standards to address previously unregulated HAP in the PQBS source category: (1) four new emission standards based on MACT for pushing operations: acid gases (AG),[1] hydrogen cyanide (HCN), mercury (Hg), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (which is also a surrogate for dioxins and furans (D/F), formaldehyde, and volatile organic HAP (VOHAP)); (2) four new emission standards based on MACT for battery stacks: AG, HCN, Hg, and particulate matter (PM) (as a surrogate for non-Hg HAP metals); (3) four new emission standards based on MACT for HNR heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) main stacks: AG, Hg, PAH (which is also a surrogate for formaldehyde), and PM (as a surrogate for non-Hg HAP metals); (4) five new emission standards based on MACT for HNR bypass/waste heat (B/W) stacks: AG, formaldehyde (which is also a surrogate for VOHAP), Hg, PAH, and PM (as a surrogate for non-Hg HAP metals); and (5) a new MACT standard, in the form of a good combustion practices work practice standard, for PAH, D/F, and VOHAP emitted from battery stacks. Finally, pursuant to CAA section 112(d)(6), the Coke Ovens rule finalized opacity limits on HNR B/W stacks for the PQBS source category.

B. Petitions for Reconsideration

Following the issuance of the Coke Ovens rule, the American Coke and Coal Chemicals Institute (and the Coke Oven Environmental Task Force (COETF) that it manages), SunCoke Energy, and the United States Steel Corporation submitted petitions for reconsideration on September 3, 2024, detailing alleged errors, requesting corrections, and expressing concerns regarding the technical feasibility of certain new requirements and the timing of compliance.

On March 20, 2025, the EPA responded to the petitions for reconsideration, granting discretionary reconsideration on the following issues (the applicable NESHAP is listed in parentheses):

Footnotes

1.  Acid gases include hydrochloric acid (HCl) and hydrogen fluoride (HF).

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2.  Specifically, the EPA is reconsidering the requirement to both (1) achieve zero percent leaking oven doors as determined by EPA Method 303A; and (2) conduct pressure monitoring to ensure that the ovens are operated under a negative pressure. In the letter granting reconsideration, the EPA incorrectly labeled this issue as pertaining to the PQBS NESHAP, when it actually applies to the COB NESHAP.

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3.  See Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085-1516 and EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051-1884.

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4.  See Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085-1517 and EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051-1885.

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5.  See Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085-1518 and EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051-1886.

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6.  The COETF also stated that retrofitting new equipment into a facility with already limited space available for the new equipment can require complex mechanical designs that are especially time-consuming.

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7.  As previously mentioned, the public comment period for this rule closed on October 2, 2023.

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8.  See Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085-1514 and EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0051-1882.

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9.  See email from D. Ailor, COETF, to J. Witt, EPA OAQPS (May 22, 2025), available in the dockets for this rulemaking.

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10.  Under CAA section 307(d)(1)(C), the EPA's promulgation or revision of any standard of performance under CAA section 112 would normally be subject to the rulemaking procedural requirements of CAA section 307(d), including notice-and-comment procedures, but CAA section 307(d) does not apply “in the case of any rule or circumstance referred to in subparagraphs (A) or (B) of [APA section 553(b)].”

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[FR Doc. 2025-12626 Filed 7-3-25; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

Legal Citation

Federal Register Citation

Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.

90 FR 29997

Web Citation

Suggested Web Citation

Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.

“National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Coke Ovens: Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks, and Coke Oven Batteries; Residual Risk and Technology Review, and Periodic Technology Review,” thefederalregister.org (July 8, 2025), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2025-12626/national-emission-standards-for-hazardous-air-pollutants-for-coke-ovens-pushing-quenching-and-battery-stacks-and-coke-ov.