Coal ash containment has been largely unregulated at the federal level, In April 2015, the EPA published its national regulations on the safe disposal of coal combustion residuals, or coal ash. These new requirements have forced utility companies to develop new coal ash containment systems in order to comply with the new regulations. The rules surrounding coal ash containment establish technical requirements for coal ash landfills and surface impoundments under subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which is America’s primary law for regulating solid waste.
Hazards of Coal Ash Disposal
- Leaking contaminants into the ground water
- Blowing of contaminants into the air
- Catastrophic failure of coal ash surface impoundments
Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals from Electric Utilities
The final ruling for the disposal of coal ash went into effect on October 14, 2015, and includes:- Any existing unlined CCR surface impoundment that is contaminating groundwater about a regulated constituent’s groundwater protection standard must stop receiving coal ash and either retrofit or close, except in limited circumstances
- Requires the closure of any CCR landfill or surface impoundment that cannot meet the applicable performance criteria for location restrictions or structural integrity
- CCR surface impoundments that don’t receive CCR after the effective date, but still contain water and coal ash will be subject to all regulatory requirements unless the owner dewaters and installs a final cover system on these inactive units no later than three years from the publication of the rule