America's Largest Producer of Coal Is Operating Under an Expired Permit

The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a lawsuit against Jefferson County health officials to force action on an expired air permit renewal for ABC Coke, America's largest foundry coke producer, which has been operating illegally without an updated permit since 2023. The facility in Tarrant, Alabama has a history of polluting the air with cancer-causing chemicals and paid a $775,000 penalty in 2019 for Clean Air Act violations. Following the lawsuit filing, the county health department agreed to move forward with the permitting process, though environmental groups say the delay has prevented community concerns from being addressed.