President Donald J. Trump has announced a temporary exemption for certain stationary sources from compliance with the Taconite Rule, which imposes new emissions-control requirements on taconite iron ore processing facilities. This rule, published by the Environmental Protection Agency on March 6, 2024, under section 112 of the Clean Air Act, was intended to address hazardous air pollutants in taconite iron ore processing.
The Taconite Rule requires technologies that have not been proven effective or commercially viable within the industry. Concerns were raised about its potential impact on national defense and critical manufacturing sectors due to possible shutdowns and reduced production capabilities.
"Maintaining this capacity is essential to our national security and economic resilience," stated President Trump. He emphasized that inflexible regulatory deadlines should not threaten a material crucial to America's industrial base.
The exemption extends compliance deadlines by two years for affected facilities as outlined in Annex I of the proclamation. These include plants operated by United States Steel Corporation and Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., located in Minnesota and Michigan.
President Trump declared that "the technology to implement the Taconite Rule is not available" and cited national security interests as reasons for issuing this exemption.
This decision allows these facilities to adhere to previous standards while technological solutions are developed.
