(Photo: Aerial photos of the Duke Energy Buck coal ash ponds in 2014. Credit: Yadkin Riverkeeper, Flickr Creative Commons)The EPA finalized a rule this week that reduces Obama-era restrictions on how states and industry officials handle coal ash, the Washington Post reported. This is the first rule signed by acting administrator Andrew Wheeler, who took over following Scott Pruitt’s resignation on July 5.
Under the new rule, states can suspend groundwater monitoring in certain cases and state officials can certify whether utilities’ coal ash facilities meet adequate standards, according to the Washington Post.
“EPA officials estimate that the rule change will save the industry between $28 million and $31 million a year in compliance costs,” the Post’s Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis wrote.
Citing information from the American Coal Ash Association, CNN reported that coal-fired power plants produce about 110 million tons of coal ash annually. Although the EPA has responsibility for regulating coal ash sites, Pruitt signaled last year that he wanted to give states more flexibility on handling them.
Wheeler, a former Senate staffer and EPA employee represented coal, mining, and other energy companies for 10 years, has a reputation for seeking to dismantle climate change regulation.
“The Obama administration negotiated for years with environmental groups, electric utilities and other affected industries about how to address coal waste, which can poison wildlife and lead to respiratory illnesses among those living near storage sites,” the Post journalists wrote. “The 2015 rule increased inspections and monitoring of coal ash disposal sites and required measures such as liners in new waste pits to prevent leaks that might threaten nearby drinking water supplies.”
A second rule related to coal ash recycling is expected to come from the EPA next year, according to the Post.
The full text of the new rule signed this week is accessible here.
