New Rule Will Force Cleanup of Hundreds of Toxic Coal Ash Dump Sites

The EPA has finalized a new rule closing a loophole in the 2015 Coal Ash Rule that previously exempted landfills and waste piles that stopped receiving coal ash before the rule's inception. This loophole allowed 320 coal plants across 41 states to avoid cleanup requirements for over half a billion tons of coal ash. The new regulation requires power plant owners to monitor and clean up all coal ash dumps to prevent the contamination of groundwater and drinking water, addressing a risk that affects an estimated 91 percent of coal plants.

• The EPA's new rule closes a loophole from the 2015 Coal Ash Rule that exempted landfills and waste piles that had stopped receiving coal ash before the 2015 rule took effect, which left more than half a billion tons of coal ash exempt from federal protections.
• Analysis of EPA data by Earthjustice revealed that 320 coal plants located in 41 states were using the loophole to avoid cleanup responsibilities.
• Coal ash is a toxic mixture of neurotoxins and carcinogens that can damage the nervous system and cause kidney disease and cancer; it is estimated that 91 percent of coal plants are contaminating groundwater with these pollutants.
• The new rule mandates that power plant owners monitor and clean up all coal ash dumps at their facilities to ensure they do not pollute waterways and drinking water.

APA

Earthjustice (2024). New Rule Will Force Cleanup of Hundreds of Toxic Coal Ash Dump Sites. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2024/new-rule-will-force-cleanup-of-hundreds-of-toxic-coal-ash-dump-sites

Chicago

Earthjustice. New Rule Will Force Cleanup of Hundreds of Toxic Coal Ash Dump Sites. 2024. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2024/new-rule-will-force-cleanup-of-hundreds-of-toxic-coal-ash-dump-sites.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=New Rule Will Force Cleanup of Hundreds of Toxic Coal Ash Dump Sites |date=25 April 2024 |url=https://earthjustice.org/brief/2024/new-rule-will-force-cleanup-of-hundreds-of-toxic-coal-ash-dump-sites |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2024new, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{New Rule Will Force Cleanup of Hundreds of Toxic Coal Ash Dump Sites}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://earthjustice.org/brief/2024/new-rule-will-force-cleanup-of-hundreds-of-toxic-coal-ash-dump-sites}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }