EPA’s Disastrous New Proposal Guts Coal Ash Rules – As Coal Plants Nationwide Pollute Water Supplies

Earthjustice criticizes a proposed EPA rule that would dismantle protections established by the 2015 and 2024 coal ash regulations. The organization asserts that the proposal would allow coal power companies to avoid cleaning up contaminated groundwater, exempt hundreds of legacy dump sites from regulation, and permit the use of toxic ash as structural fill in residential areas. According to the text, industry data shows coal ash is already contaminating water above federal safe drinking water standards at 91 percent of U.S. coal plants.

• The proposed EPA rule would significantly reduce or eliminate health and environmental protections for coal ash disposal, specifically by exempting a large category of leaking ash dumps known as Coal Combustion Residuals Management Units (CCRMU) that were previously regulated under the 2024 Legacy Coal Ash Rule.
• The proposal would grant state and EPA authorities broad discretion to weaken monitoring and cleanup requirements on a site-by-site basis, potentially allowing companies to move monitoring wells 150 meters away from dumps to create a 'zone of contamination'.
• The proposed rule would allow for the permanent deposition of coal ash in aquifers by permitting companies to close ash in place even when it is contaminating groundwater, and it would remove safety standards for coal ash 'piles'.
• The proposal would eliminate safeguards regarding the use of coal ash as a substitute for clean soil in areas such as parks, residential areas, and playgrounds, without requiring safety demonstrations or monitoring.
• Industry data indicates that coal ash is contaminating water above federal safe drinking water standards at 91 percent of coal plants in the U.S., affecting more than 265 plants and 765 dump sites.

APA

McGrath, K. (2026). EPA’s Disastrous New Proposal Guts Coal Ash Rules – As Coal Plants Nationwide Pollute Water Supplies. Earthjustice. https://earthjustice.org/experts/lisa-evans/epas-disastrous-new-proposal-guts-coal-ash-rules-as-coal-plants-nationwide-pollute-water-supplies

Chicago

McGrath, Kathryn. EPA’s Disastrous New Proposal Guts Coal Ash Rules – As Coal Plants Nationwide Pollute Water Supplies. Earthjustice, 2026. https://earthjustice.org/experts/lisa-evans/epas-disastrous-new-proposal-guts-coal-ash-rules-as-coal-plants-nationwide-pollute-water-supplies.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=McGrath |first1=Kathryn |title=EPA’s Disastrous New Proposal Guts Coal Ash Rules – As Coal Plants Nationwide Pollute Water Supplies |publisher=Earthjustice |date=17 April 2026 |url=https://earthjustice.org/experts/lisa-evans/epas-disastrous-new-proposal-guts-coal-ash-rules-as-coal-plants-nationwide-pollute-water-supplies |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{mcgrath2026epas, author = {McGrath, Kathryn}, title = {{EPA’s Disastrous New Proposal Guts Coal Ash Rules – As Coal Plants Nationwide Pollute Water Supplies}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://earthjustice.org/experts/lisa-evans/epas-disastrous-new-proposal-guts-coal-ash-rules-as-coal-plants-nationwide-pollute-water-supplies}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }