VP Vance, EPA’s Zeldin tour Nucor mill

Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin visited the recycled-content electric arc furnace (EAF) Berkeley steel mill in Huger, South Carolina, operated by Nucor Corp. the week of April 28.

At the May 1 event, Zeldin referred to EPA deregulation steps taken by the administration of President Donald Trump as positive factors for the U.S. steel industry.

“These first 100 days, we have been working at a rapid pace to restore American businesses and usher in an American industrial renaissance,” Zeldin said. “At EPA, we have taken steps to roll back onerous regulations that impact the steel industry. I want to thank the Vice President and Nucor Steel for the tour today, and I look forward to continuing our work to unleash American industry.”

In an EPA news release issued after the visit, the agency referred to Charlotte, North Carolina-based Nucor as the largest manufacturer of steel in the U.S., adding that the Berkeley mill is undergoing a modernization project and "highlights the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting and fighting for American businesses."

That news release also refers to March 12 as “the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history,” with among the 31 agency actions announced that day a plan to revisit is the 2024 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5 to release guidance to increase flexibility on NAAQS implementation, reforms to New Source Review and direction on permitting obligations.

It is unclear to what extent these regulatory changes will affect current mill operations or in-progress Nucor capital expenditure projects. The recycled-content steelmaker earlier this decade publicized its status as one of the lowest emissions steel producers on the planet.

The EPA news release, however, does mention regulations affecting coke ovens and taconite iron ore processing, which could be pertinent to Nucor’s direct-reduced iron (DRI) production efforts in Louisiana.

“While accomplishing EPA’s core mission of protecting the environment, the agency is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s promise to unleash American energy, lower costs for Americans, revitalize the American auto industry, restore the rule of law and give power back to states to make their own decisions," EPA says.