The Daily Fuckup

The White House on July 13 posted a proclamation that gives listed stationary sources in Annex I a two-year extension on certain compliance deadlines under the HON Rule, the EPA air toxics standard for the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry and some polymers and resins facilities. The proclamation says the action relies on section 112(i)(4) of the Clean Air Act and applies only to the sources named in the annex and only to those aspects of the rule issued under section 112.

The document says the affected facilities are exempt from compliance with those portions of the HON Rule for two years beyond the rule’s relevant compliance dates. During that period, they remain subject to the standards that applied before the new deadlines took effect. The White House’s accompanying fact sheet casts the move as regulatory relief tied to American security and industrial capacity, not a repeal of the underlying air rule.

The proclamation was signed on July 9 and posted on July 13. It says the chemical sector is tied to energy, defense, agriculture, health care, semiconductors and other critical infrastructure, and argues that the compliance technology needed for the rule is not commercially viable on the timeline EPA set. The administration says the exemption is justified by national security concerns and by the role the industry plays in domestic supply chains.

This is not a blanket waiver for the chemical industry. It covers only the sources listed in Annex I, and only the rule provisions the proclamation identifies. The White House did not use the action to suspend the HON Rule across the board or to erase all pollution controls for the affected facilities.