Coke Ovens: Pushing, Quenching and Battery Stacks: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

Rule Summary

Public Hearing and Comment Period Extension

EPA held a virtual public hearing on September 4, 2025 at 10:00am (ET) for the Coke Ovens Interim Final Rule.

Registered Speaker List in Approximate Speaking Order (pdf) (40.84 KB)

Watch the hearing, which began on September 4, 2025 at 10:00am (ET) at: https://youtube.com/live/4S03DU0jSuo?feature=share

In addition, EPA is extending the comment period deadline to October 6, 2025.

2025 Final Rule

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a final rule that withdraws the July 8, 2025, Interim Final Rule, which extended compliance deadlines for PQBS maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards, COB leak limits, and the associated fenceline monitoring requirements originally promulgated in the 2024 Coke Ovens Rule.

2024 Coke Ovens Rule

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized amendments to update and strengthen emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (HAP) such as benzene, mercury, lead and arsenic that are emitted by coke oven facilities.

Coke is used in blast furnaces in the conversion of iron ore to iron, which can be further refined to produce steel. Coke plants produce coke from coal, using coke oven batteries. A battery consists of a group of ovens connected by common walls.

The final amendments will fulfill EPA’s responsibility under the Clean Air Act to periodically review emission standards to reflect developments in pollution control technologies and techniques, and to establish standards for all types of HAP emitted by regulated facilities.

Rule History

10/02/2025 - Prepublication Version Final Rule: Air Toxics Standards for Coke Ovens Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks and Coke Oven Batteries (pdf) (281.77 KB)

08/13/2025 - Public Hearing and Comment Period Extension Notice (pdf) (232.89 KB)

07/03/2025 - Interim Final Rule: Extension of Compliance Deadlines for Coke Oven Facilities (pdf) (257.89 KB)

07/05/2024 - Final Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for Coke Ovens Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks; and Coke Oven Batteries

08/16/2023 - Proposed Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for Coke Ovens Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks; and Coke Oven Batteries

08/02/2005 - Final rule; amendments.

01/10/2005 - Partial withdrawal of direct final rule.

10/13/2004 -Direct final rule; amendments.

10/13/2004 - Proposed rule; amendments.

04/22/2003 - Correction.

04/14/2003 - Final rule.

07/03/2001 - Proposed rule.

Additional Resources

Fact Sheet: Interim Final Rule (pdf) (328.12 KB)

Economic Impact Analysis for the Interim Final Rule (pdf) (207.89 KB)

Fact Sheet: Final Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for Coke Ovens Pushing, Quenching and Battery Stacks; and Coke Oven Batteries (pdf) (138.03 KB, May 23, 2024)

MACT Memorandums for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Coke Ovens: Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks (zip)

Data Memorandums for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Coke Ovens: Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks (zip)

Fenceline Action Level Memorandum for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Coke Ovens: Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks (zip)

Redline version of the proposed rule changes to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Coke Ovens: Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks, CFR part 63, subpart CCCCC (pdf) (570.08 KB, 08/01/2023)

Fact Sheet: Proposed Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for Coke Ovens Pushing, Quenching, and Battery Stacks and Coke Oven Batteries (pdf) (184.42 KB, July 31, 2023)

Fenceline data for five facilities 2022-2023 (zip)

2016 Section 114 test reports (zip)

2022 Section 114 test reports (zip)

Pre-proposal modeling file - July 6, 2023 (zip) . To view the updated modeling data, please download the zipped MS Access database to your computer and extract the file.

HEM4 Inputs Coke Ovens Final Risk Modeling (zip)

Economic Impact Analysis

Coke Oven By-Product Recovery Plants: National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)