National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Integrated Iron and Steel Manufacturing Facilities Technology Review

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 63</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0083; FRL-5919.4-04-OAR]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Integrated Iron and Steel Manufacturing Facilities Technology Review</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is taking final action to respond to comments on an interim final rule (IFR) related to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Integrated Iron and Steel Manufacturing Facilities (“II&S NESHAP”). Specifically, the EPA is responding to comments on the IFR published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> on July 3, 2025, that revised compliance deadlines for certain provisions related to planned bleeder valve openings, unplanned bleeder valve openings, blast furnace (BF) casthouses, basic oxygen process furnace (BOPF) shops, slag processing and handling, beaching, and fenceline monitoring. After carefully considering the comments, the EPA concludes that the amendments made in the IFR are warranted and is not making any further changes to the compliance deadlines revised in the IFR. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective on December 3, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> The EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0083. All documents in the docket are available on the <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> website. Although listed, some information is not publicly available, <E T="03">e.g.,</E> Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. The EPA does not place certain other material, such as copyrighted material, on the internet; this material is publicly available only as pdf versions and accessible only on EPA computers in the docket office reading room. The public cannot download certain data bases and physical items from the docket but may request these items by contacting the docket office at (202) 566-1744. The docket office has 10 business days to respond to such requests. Except for such material, publicly available docket materials are available electronically in <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> or on the EPA computers in the docket office reading room at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, Room Number 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The Public Reading Room hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the EPA Docket Center is (202) 566-1742. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> For information about this action, contact U.S. EPA, Attn: Katie Boaggio, Mail Drop: D243-02, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12055, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-2223; email address: <E T="03">boaggio.katie@epa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <E T="03">Preamble acronyms and abbreviations.</E> Throughout this document the use of “we,” “us,” or “our” refers to the EPA. We use multiple acronyms and terms in this preamble. While this list may not be exhaustive, to ease the reading of this preamble and for reference purposes, the EPA defines the following terms and acronyms here: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">BF blast furnace</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">BOPF basic oxygen process furnace</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CAA Clean Air Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CBI Confidential Business Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CRA Congressional Review Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EPA Environmental Protection Agency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">II&S Integrated Iron and Steel</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IFR interim final rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NESHAP National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NAICS North American Industry Classification System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UFIP unmeasured fugitive and intermittent particulate</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S.C. United States Code</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. General Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Does this action apply to me?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Where can I get a copy of this document and other related information?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. What is the statutory authority for this final action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Judicial Review and Administrative Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. What amendments did we make in the IFR, and what are our final conclusions?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Planned Bleeder Valve Openings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Bell Leaks</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Monitoring Frequency for BOPF/BF</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Unplanned Bleeder Valve Openings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Slag Processing, Handling, and Storage</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Beaching</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Fenceline Monitoring</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Executive Order 14192: Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Executive Order 13132: Federalism</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Executive Order 13211: Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Congressional Review Act (CRA)</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. General Information</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Does this action apply to me?</HD> The source category that is the subject of this action is Integrated Iron and Steel Manufacturing Facilities regulated under 40 CFR part 63, subpart FFFFF. Table 1 summarizes the 2022 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes for the source category. <GPOTABLE COLS="2" OPTS="L2,nj,i1" CDEF="s25,6C"> <TTITLE>Table 1—NESHAP and Industrial Source Categories Affected by This Final Action</TTITLE> <CHED H="1">NESHAP and source category</CHED> <ENT I="01">40 CFR part 63, subpart FFFFF, Integrated Iron and Steel Manufacturing Facilities</ENT> <ENT>331110</ENT> </ROW> </GPOTABLE> The EPA does not intend table 1 of this preamble to be exhaustive. The NAICS code outlines the type of entities this final action likely will affect. To determine whether this NESHAP affects your facility, you should examine the applicability criteria in the NESHAP. If you have any questions regarding the applicability of any aspect of this NESHAP, please contact the person listed in the preceding <E T="02">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT</E> section of this preamble. <HD SOURCE="HD2">B. Where can I get a copy of this document and other related information?</HD> In addition to being available in the docket, an electronic copy of this action is available on the internet at <E T="03">https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/integrated-iron-and-steel-manufacturing-national-emission.</E> Following publication in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> , the EPA will post the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> version of this action at this same website. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code (U.S.C.) 553(b)(4), a summary of this action may be found at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> , Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0083. Following publication in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> , the EPA will post the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> version of this action at this same website. <HD SOURCE="HD2">C. What is the statutory authority for this final action?</HD> The same Clean Air Act (CAA) provision that provided authority to issue the regulations that are the subject of this final rule and the July 3, 2025, IFR—CAA section 112—provides the statutory authority to issue this final action. <HD SOURCE="HD2">D. Judicial Review and Administrative Review</HD> Under CAA section 307(b)(1), judicial review of this final action is available only by filing a petition for review in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by February 2, 2026. Under CAA section 307(b)(2), a party cannot challenge the requirements established by this final action separately in any civil or criminal proceedings to enforce the requirements. CAA section 307(d) applies to this final rule. <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> CAA section 307(d)(7)(B) provides a mechanism for the EPA to convene a proceeding for reconsideration “[i]f the person raising an objection can demonstrate to the EPA that it was impracticable to raise such objection within [the period for public comment] or if the grounds for such objection arose after the period for public comment (but within the time specified for judicial review) and if such objection is of central relevance to the outcome of the rule.” Any person seeking to ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 46k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━