Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Federal CCR Permit Program; Reopening of Comment Period
Key claim: The EPA is reopening the public comment period on its 2020 proposed rule establishing a federal permit program for the disposal of coal combustion residuals from electric utilities.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Environmental Protection Agency) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed rule on February 20, 2020, to establish a Federal permit program for disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR). The EPA is reopening the comment period on that proposed rule and requesting comment on several issues in particular.
Why this matters
Coal combustion residuals (fly ash, bottom ash, flue gas desulfurization materials) are one of the largest industrial waste streams in the U.S., and how they are permitted for disposal directly shapes utility compliance costs, groundwater contamination risk near coal plants, and closure timelines for legacy ash ponds. Reopening comment on the federal permit program keeps the regulatory backstop for states without approved CCR programs in active development, though the procedural nature of this action means the practical effects on utilities remain unchanged for now.