A Hard-Won Rule to Cut Chemical Plant Pollution Is Being Unraveled

In April 2024, Tish Taylor and her father, Robert, witnessed President Joe Biden's Environmental Protection Agency chief, Michael Regan, signing a regulation aimed at significantly reducing toxic pollution from petrochemical plants along the lower Mississippi River. This regulation, known as the HON rule, was a long-awaited victory for communities like the Taylors' in Cancer Alley, Louisiana, where they faced a higher risk of cancer due to exposure to hazardous air pollutants.

The HON rule required petrochemical plants to upgrade their pollution control equipment and install air monitors to measure emissions of specific chemicals, including ethylene oxide and vinyl chloride. It also closed loopholes that previously allowed plants to avoid emissions requirements during shutdowns or preparation for storms, particularly in the face of climate change.

However, shortly after President Donald Trump took office, his administration began repealing and weakening air toxics rules, including the HON rule. Trump granted two-year exemptions to more than 50 petrochemical facilities and issued 20 more temporary exemptions in July 2023. The EPA announced plans to revise the regulation this fall, with a version that is expected to significantly weaken its protections.

The HON rule is considered one of the most comprehensive air toxics regulations issued by the Biden administration, covering approximately 220 large petrochemical plants. If the revised version goes through, it is likely to significantly reduce the protections in place, putting communities in the path of these emissions at even greater risk of cancer and other health problems.