(The Center Square) − President Donald Trump issued a proclamation exempting certain chemical manufacturing facilities from upcoming changes to the EPA’s Hazardous Organic National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.
The new rule, finalized on May 16, 2024, would impose stricter emissions control requirements on facilities in the synthetic chemical and polymer manufacturing sectors.
In his proclamation, President Trump highlighted the “substantial burdens” that these regulations would impose on chemical manufacturers who are already operating under stringent regulations.
The president expressed concerns that many of the testing and monitoring requirements outlined in the HON Rule rely on technologies that are either unavailable, unproven at the required scale, or unsafe to implement under real-world conditions.
“These requirements assume uniform technological availability across facilities, despite significant variation in site conditions, equipment configurations, and permitting realities,” the proclamation reads. “For many facilities, compliance would require shutdowns or costly capital investments without a clear path to meeting the new standards.”
The new HON rule aims to reduce toxic air pollutants from equipment and processes used in synthetic chemical manufacturing. It directly affects facilities across Louisiana, Texas, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Ohio River Valley.
The rule targets smog-forming volatile organic compounds and establishes new emission limits for dioxins and furans. Additionally, facilities will be required to implement fenceline monitoring if they handle any of six high-risk chemicals.
The facilities in Louisiana granted an exemption from these new regulations include prominent chemical plants such as Shell Geismar, Dow Chemical Glycol Plant, Formosa Plastic, Union Carbide/Dow Chemical in Hahnville, Westlake Vinyl and several others.
“LDEQ leadership was aware that some Louisiana facilities had applied for this exemption, and we were closely monitoring the status,” said Courtney Burdette, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. “We will continue to enforce existing HON rules for these plants, with no changes in how the agency oversees their operations.”
The proclamation also stresses the importance of maintaining a robust domestic chemical industry, citing its vital role in national defense, energy, agriculture, and public health sectors.
Trump emphasized that a disruption in the industry would weaken key supply chains, increase dependence on foreign producers, and impair the country’s crisis response capabilities.
The exemption granted to these facilities delays compliance with the HON rule for an additional two years beyond the original deadline. During this period, these facilities will continue to operate under the previous emissions standards.
