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

Rule Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants from coke oven batteries. Toxic air pollutants, or air toxics, are known or suspected to cause cancer and other health problems. This rule applies to each new or existing coke oven battery at any coke plant that is considered a major source of toxic air emissions. Major sources are those that emit 10 tons per year or more of a single toxic air pollutant, or 25 tons or more of a combination of toxic air pollutants. The Clean Air Act requires EPA to identify categories of industrial sources that emit one or more listed 188 toxic air pollutants, of which coke oven emissions is one.

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 requirements of this rule are based on the equipment and procedures in place at well controlled coke oven batteries. The rule allows facility owners and operators flexibility to comply with its requirements by using a combination of techniques including pollution prevention work practices and control devices. The final rule focuses on reducing air toxics from coke oven processes known as pushing, quenching, and from battery stacks.