Request for Public Hearings and 120-Day Comment Periods for Proposed Rules regarding Coal Combustion Residuals Closure Deadlines (Part A) and Revision of Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Limitations Guidelines

The document is a formal request by 87 public interest groups asking the U.S. EPA to provide in-person public hearings and extend the public comment period to 120 days for two proposed rules: the 'Part A' rule on Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) closure deadlines and the revision of Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) for steam electric power plants. The groups argue that the current 60-day window is insufficient due to holiday schedules and the complexity of the rules. They further contend that the EPA's proposed call-in sessions are an inadequate substitute for in-person hearings, which allow affected communities to present visual evidence and direct testimony regarding the toxic impact of coal ash on groundwater and surface waters.

• Coal combustion residuals (CCR), including fly ash, bottom ash, scrubber sludge, and boiler slag, constitute one of the largest toxic waste streams in the U.S., with coal-fired plants producing over 110 million tons of this waste annually from burning more than 800 million tons of coal.
• A report by Earthjustice and the Environmental Integrity Project indicated that 92 percent of coal plants providing groundwater monitoring data under the 2015 CCR Rule had groundwater contaminated with toxic pollutants, such as arsenic, lead, and selenium, exceeding federal health standards.
• Power plants are identified as the primary source of toxic wastewater in U.S. surface waters, accounting for 30% of all such pollution, which has rendered fish unsafe for consumption in many regions, particularly for women of childbearing age and children.
• The 87 undersigned groups argue that the EPA's decision to offer call-in sessions instead of in-person public hearings is 'unprecedented and contrary to law and public policy,' asserting that call-ins cannot replace the ability of the public to use visual aids or convey the urgency of their testimonies.
• The request for a 120-day comment period is based on the fact that the proposed 60-day period overlaps with Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and burdens the same set of impacted communities and experts who must comment on both the CCR and ELG proposals simultaneously.

APA

Earthjustice (2019). Request for Public Hearings and 120-Day Comment Periods for Proposed Rules regarding Coal Combustion Residuals Closure Deadlines (Part A) and Revision of Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Limitations Guidelines. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/public_interest_groups_request_ccr_elg_hearing_final.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Request for Public Hearings and 120-Day Comment Periods for Proposed Rules regarding Coal Combustion Residuals Closure Deadlines (Part A) and Revision of Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Limitations Guidelines. 2019. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/public_interest_groups_request_ccr_elg_hearing_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Request for Public Hearings and 120-Day Comment Periods for Proposed Rules regarding Coal Combustion Residuals Closure Deadlines (Part A) and Revision of Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Limitations Guidelines |date=4 December 2019 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/public_interest_groups_request_ccr_elg_hearing_final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2019request, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Request for Public Hearings and 120-Day Comment Periods for Proposed Rules regarding Coal Combustion Residuals Closure Deadlines (Part A) and Revision of Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Limitations Guidelines}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/public_interest_groups_request_ccr_elg_hearing_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }