Trump administration eliminates critical air pollution monitoring program at industrial coke facilities, citing national security concerns

The Trump administration has terminated a federal program that monitored dangerous carcinogen levels at coke oven facilities across the United States, a move that environmental advocates say abandons communities already burdened by industrial pollution. The decision has prompted legal challenges from environmental groups who argue the program provided essential health protections.

The eliminated monitoring program documented excessive levels of cancer-causing chemicals at industrial facilities nationwide, providing crucial data about air quality in communities surrounding these operations. Coke ovens, which convert coal into coke for steel production, are known sources of benzene and other hazardous air pollutants that pose serious health risks to nearby residents.

Environmental justice advocates, including those in Birmingham, Alabama—home to significant industrial operations—are particularly concerned about the program’s end. The city has long grappled with air quality issues related to heavy industry, and activists like the late Charlie Powell, founder of People Against Neighborhood Industrial Contamination, spent decades fighting for stronger environmental protections. Powell, who died recently at age 72, was a cornerstone of Birmingham’s environmental advocacy community.

Environmental groups have filed lawsuits challenging the administration’s decision, arguing that the monitoring program was essential for protecting public health in communities disproportionately affected by industrial pollution. Critics contend that citing national security as justification for ending environmental monitoring undermines both transparency and community health protections, leaving residents without crucial information about the air they breathe.