EPA is retreating from a requirement that manufacturers of a distilled form of coal track airborne levels of cancer-causing benzene near their plants.
That requirement — a signature feature of updated air toxics regulations issued last year for coke manufacturers — had been scheduled to take effect Monday. But an interim final rule set for fast-track publication in Tuesday’s Federal Register establishes a new deadline: July 5, 2027.
Also postponed until 2027 are other aspects of the update that were supposed to launch either this year or next, including strengthened leak limits and standards for previously unregulated pollutants.
In the meantime, EPA under President Donald Trump is reconsidering the regulations in response to industry petitions and could opt to roll them back. As one reason for the delay, the agency cited concerns about manufacturers’ ability to carry out the steps needed to begin what’s known as “fenceline monitoring.”
