On Friday, July 15, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied two petitions filed by Gasp, an Alabama non-profit group that advocates for clean air.  Gasp filed the petitions claiming that the permits do not assure compliance with general State Implementation Plan rules prohibiting air pollution at the Walter and ABC Coke Plants in North Birmingham, Alabama. 

EPA denied the ABC Coke and Walter Coke petitions filed by Gasp on the basis that Gasp did not demonstrate that the permits are not in compliance with the Clean Air Act. Specifically, Gasp did not demonstrate:

1. That the permits need additional conditions to assure compliance with the general prohibition against “air pollution;”
2. That the permit conditions governing fugitive dust are too vague or too restrictive; and
3. That Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) failed to provide Gasp with sufficient emissions information to participate meaningfully in the permitting process.

This Order constitutes a final action on the Title V petitions submitted by Gasp and subsequently published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, August 3, 2016.