Sierra Club: The proposal “doesn’t even try to hide the fact that it’s an explicit handout to Big Coal
By Robert Walton, Waste Dive
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed adding “flexibilities” to the rules that govern the management and cleanup of coal ash, the waste that remains when utilities burn coal to generate power. There are approximately 775 coal ash surface impoundments and landfills across the country, according to the agency.
Environmental advocates say the changes could allow utilities to leave submerged coal ash in place, a practice that threatens drinking water.
Coal ash contains mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic, which are linked to cancer and other health problems, according to the EPA.
EPA’s proposal is “another handout to the coal power industry at the expense of our health, water, and wallets,” Lisa Evans, senior counsel at Earthjustice, said in a statement.
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