Armco has applied for a variance which would extend a deadline imposed by the EPA for cleaning up its coke manufacturing process. The variance was denied, which means that Armco must now meet the new manufacturing requirements two to three years earlier than it considers feasible. Armco has traditionally taken an active stand in favor of pollution reducing manufacturing methods, and it now finds itself in the untenable position of possibly going on record as being unable to meet the new pollution control standards. The company's previous aggressive approaches to decreasing pollution were, apparently, ignored by the EPA in reaching its decision. At this point, Armco will participate in an adjudication hearing within 30 days where it will appeal the decision on the variance, but it must consider the very real possibility that no relief will be forthcoming.
The EPA standards require modification to the manufacturing process which are designed to reduce emissions to 60 micrograms; even with its most aggressive forecasts, and using the technology which the EPA recognizes as state of the art, Armco does not anticipate that it could reduce emissions to below 75 micrograms, and even that could not be achieved in the necessary timeframe. This is the first area of contention with the EPA that needs to be addressed at the adjudication hearing.
The American steel industry is well behind the steel industries of other nations when considered from a technological standpoint. Germany and Japan, in particular, rebuilt their steel industries after World War II, in part because of the devastation that the war brought. However, the American steel industry, including Armco, continues to use technology which was state of the art during the 1920s; this technology has several areas of resource waste and also has a high level of pollution associated with it. Moving to more modern manufacturing techniques will not only allow companies such as Armc...