EES Coke Battery
Large load · 1400 ZUG ISLAND RD, Detroit, MI
EES Coke Battery is a coke-making plant on Zug Island in River Rouge, Michigan, owned by DTE Energy. It produces metallurgical coke from coal in an oxygen-free process, and the coke is used for making steel. The plant's most recent public record is a February 2026 federal Clean Air Act judgment, a pending appeal to the Sixth Circuit, and a November 1, 2026 deadline to comply. The state permit report says the coke-making operations rely on U.S. Steel's Great Lakes Works for steam, power and water, and that the property is owned by that company.
Overview
In February 2026, U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain ordered DTE Energy and its subsidiaries to pay a $100 million civil penalty for Clean Air Act violations at EES Coke Battery. The order also requires the plant to apply for and obtain New Source Review permits and to fund a $20 million community air quality committee. The EPA had sought a $140 million penalty, while DTE had requested $5 million. The ruling followed an August 2025 finding that the battery made a major modification that its 2014 state permit only allowed as a minor one. DTE said it would appeal the order to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Profile
- Stay denied and November 1 compliance date
- In July 2026 Judge Drain denied DTE's request to pause Clean Air Act compliance during its appeal, writing that the motion largely repackages arguments that the court already considered and rejected. The order requires EES Coke Battery to comply with the Clean Air Act by November 1, 2026. The judge approved a 30-day stay on $120 million in financial penalties so DTE could revise its proposed $123.5 million appeal bond. DTE's lawyer argued the company faced an impossible choice between costly new permit applications and shutting the plant down.
- Two-year federal exemption from coke oven rules
- In November 2025 President Donald Trump signed a proclamation exempting EES Coke Battery for two years from coke oven pollution rules enacted under the Biden administration. The exemption covers fenceline benzene monitoring, leaks from coke oven battery doors, lids and offtakes, and new pollution control standards. Without it the plant would have had to meet the new standards by January 5, 2026. EES Coke Battery was one of 11 facilities covered by the proclamation, and it had applied for the exemption.
Facility
- Activity
- Metallurgical coke for steelmaking
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- Site type
- Facility
- Operating status
- Operating
Related records
Timeline
- Nov 21, 2025
- Trump proclamation gives EES Coke Battery a two-year exemption from Biden-era coke oven pollution rules.
Trump exempts Zug Island's EES Coke Battery from new pollution rules for 2 years – Planet Detroit
- Feb 17, 2026
- Federal judge orders DTE and EES Coke Battery to pay a $100 million civil penalty and comply with the Clean Air Act.
DTE Energy hit with $100 million fine for Zug Island pollution – Planet Detroit
- Jul 16, 2026
- Judge denies DTE's motion to pause Clean Air Act compliance while its appeal proceeds.
Judge to DTE: No delays for Clean Air Act compliance on Zug Island