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LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) — Eastman Chemical in Longview was one of 49 chemical manufacturing facilities in the United States granted a two-year exemption from environmental regulations by President Donald Trump’s proclamation.

According to the White House, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enacted what is known as the ‘HON Rule’ on May 16, 2024. The HON Rule consists of four rules that chemical manufacturing plants must follow during the process of making synthetic organic chemicals, according to the EPA.

The Federal Register stated that the EPA was seeking to finalize standards for the production of ethylene oxide (EtO) and chloroprene emissions through the HON Rule.

Ethylene oxide is a chemical used in agricultural and medical products, in which ‘chronic exposure has been associated with the occurrence of cancer, reproductive effects, mutagenic changes, neurotoxicity, and sensitization’, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Eastman Chemical, which manufactures ethylene oxide, was one of the chemical manufacturing facilities set to face the regulations starting in 2026. However, Trump published a proclamation that exempts the chemical plants from following the HON Rule for two years past its compliance date, which pushes the regulations’ implementation to 2028.

The announcement of Trump’s proclamation comes at the same time that Eastman Chemical is being sued by six people who live near the plant. Those suing Eastman Chemical claim that the company’s chemical emissions have caused them health issues, including cancer.

Trump said that enacting the HON Rule would become an issue for the chemical plants and cause problems for the supply chain.

“The HON Rule imposes substantial burdens on chemical manufacturers already operating under stringent regulations. Many of the testing and monitoring requirements outlined in the HON Rule rely on technologies that are not practically available, not demonstrated at the necessary scale, or cannot be implemented safely or consistently under real-world conditions. A disruption of this capacity would weaken key supply chains, increase dependence on foreign producers, and impair our ability to respond effectively in a time of crisis.”

President Donald Trump

The proclamation also states that while the chemical plants will not follow the HON Rule during the two-year period, they will still have to follow the compliance obligations and standards that were in place before the HON Rule.

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