EPA Rollback: A New Era of Deregulation

The report details how the Trump EPA used a rare Clean Air Act provision to grant pollution exemptions to 52 facilities owned by 25 companies, including BASF, Shell, and Westlake. It highlights that these exemptions undermine the HON Rule, which aimed to reduce carcinogenic emissions by nearly 80%. The document further links these regulatory rollbacks to significant lobbying expenditures by the chemical industry and the American Chemistry Council, noting that several companies are expanding the very facilities that received exemptions.

• The EPA's HON Rule was designed to significantly lower the emission of carcinogenic chemicals, specifically ethylene oxide and chloroprene, by nearly 80 percent. The rule was estimated to "reduce the number of people who have elevated air toxics-related cancer risk by 96% in those communities" located near the covered facilities.
• In July 2025, the White House issued a proclamation granting exemptions from the HON Rule and eight other regulations to 52 facilities owned by 25 companies. This represents approximately 25% of the 207 facilities covered by the rule. These exemptions were granted based on a Clean Air Act provision allowing the president to suspend regulations if technology is unavailable and it serves "national security interests of the United States".
• There is a direct overlap between companies receiving federal pollution exemptions and those seeking to expand petrochemical production. Ten companies that received exemptions are pursuing 25 new or expansion projects, with five companies—BASF, Formosa Plastics, Chevron Phillips, Shell, and Westlake—specifically pursuing expansions at facilities that were granted HON Rule exemptions.
• The chemical industry and specific exempt companies have engaged in extensive lobbying and political spending. Ten companies that received exemptions and plan expansions spent $19.9 million on lobbying in 2024 and $11.5 million in 2025. The American Chemistry Council spent $22.3 million in 2024 and $8.6 million in 2025. Additionally, companies and employees donated $3.6 million to election funds in the 2024 cycle, including a $500,000 donation from Westlake to the Republican Senate leadership fund.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2025). EPA Rollback: A New Era of Deregulation. https://www.ciel.org/reports/epa-rollback-a-new-era-of-deregulation/

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. EPA Rollback: A New Era of Deregulation. 2025. https://www.ciel.org/reports/epa-rollback-a-new-era-of-deregulation/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=EPA Rollback: A New Era of Deregulation |date=4 August 2025 |url=https://www.ciel.org/reports/epa-rollback-a-new-era-of-deregulation/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2025epa, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{EPA Rollback: A New Era of Deregulation}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2025}, month = aug, url = {https://www.ciel.org/reports/epa-rollback-a-new-era-of-deregulation/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }