Virginia: Approval of State Coal Combustion Residuals Permit Program
Key claim: EPA is letting Virginia run its own coal-ash (coal combustion residuals) permit program in place of the federal program, except for a few provisions that stay under federal control.
Abstract
(Rule · Environmental Protection Agency) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is approving Virginia’s coal combustion residuals (CCR) permit program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). After reviewing the CCR permit program application submitted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ), EPA has determined that Virginia’s partial CCR permit program meets the standard for approval under RCRA. Virginia’s CCR permit program will operate in lieu of the Federal CCR program with the exception of the specific provisions noted below.
Why this matters
State-run CCR permitting shifts the day-to-day compliance interface for coal-ash impoundments and landfills from EPA to the state agency, which affects permit timelines, inspection practices, and how closure and groundwater monitoring disputes get resolved. Virginia joins a growing roster of states (Alabama, Indiana, Wisconsin) advancing partial programs, each with a carve-out of provisions that remain federal — a pattern worth tracking for how uniform the national CCR floor stays in practice.