Published: October 31, 2023 |

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U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, urging EPA to reconsider a proposal amending the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Coke Ovens. Coke is a critical fuel used in the steelmaking process that is created by heating metallurgical coal in the absence of air.

“EPA’s proposals introduce new and unwarranted regulatory demands on coke production, which would harm employment prospects in West Virginia, the viability of coke production for the sole two U.S.-based steel blast furnace operators, and the local steel industry crucial for electric vehicles, pipelines, infrastructure growth, solar panels, geothermal plants, and other vital sectors,” Senator Manchin wrote.

“While crafting new regulations for the steel and coke industries, it is crucial for the EPA to carefully balance economic, employment, and environmental factors. Unfortunately, the proposed rules appear to disregard this principle. If put into practice, these regulations could decrease coke consumption in the United States precisely when domestic steel production is more vital than ever, leading to reduced demand for metallurgical coal in West Virginia. This, in turn, could have far-reaching consequences on job opportunities in the state and pose a threat to the essential national-level steel production required for successfully carrying out domestic infrastructure projects supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL),” Senator Manchin continued.

Read the full letter HERE.

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