EPA v. SUNCOKE ENERGY MIDDLETOWN OPERATIONS - APO/CAFO

Case summary

Middletown Coke Company, LLC (MCC) owns and operates a heat recovery coke oven battery that is subject to lowest achievable emission rate (LAER) and best available control technology (BACT) emission limits pursuant to the Ohio State Implementation Plan. MCC violated LAER/BACT emission limits for SO2 for the coke oven battery main stack on March 14, 2023 and May 24, 2023. MCC also violated its permitted LAER/BACT limit for bypassing air pollution controls for coke oven gases during five consecutive months beginning in November 2021. From 2019 through 2024, MCC undertook a campaign to repair and then rebuild its heat recovery steam generators with upgraded metallurgy to a material with improved corrosion resistance to reduce bypass events at a total cost of more than $90 million. On September 10, 2026, MCC submitted a permit modification application to the Ohio EPA that includes a requirement to follow the facility?s ?Standard Operating Procedure for Partial Gas Sharing Operations? to reduce bypass emissions during certain heat recovery steam generator outages expected to last longer than 24 hours.

Defendants (1)

• SUNCOKE ENERGY MIDDLETOWN OPERATIONSNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• MIDDLETOWN COKE COMPANY, LLC

  3353 YANKEE ROAD, MIDDLETOWN, OH, 45044

  Registry ID: 110046371500

Statutes cited

• CAA 110 — Implementation Plan for National Primary and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• SUNCOKE ENERGY MIDDLETOWN OPERATIONS - APO/CAFOentered 2026-09-23

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $60,000

Timeline (3 milestones)

• 2026-09-23Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 2026-09-23Final Order Issued
• 2026-09-24Enforcement Action Data Entered