Senate bill 3512 leaves communities unprotected from toxic pollution

A coalition of 301 public interest organizations opposes Senate bill S.3512, claiming it weakens regulations on toxic coal ash, shields utilities from liability, and removes the EPA's authority to regulate the nation's second largest industrial waste.

• The Coal Ash Recycling and Oversight Act of 2012 (S.3512) is criticized for providing insufficient regulation of coal ash, which contains toxic heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, and mercury.
• S.3512 is argued to be dangerous because it allows coal ash ponds to operate without enforceable closure dates or engineering and inspection standards, increasing the risk of large-scale disasters similar to the 2008 Kingston, Tennessee spill.
• The bill is accused of shielding utilities from the responsibility to clean up contaminated sites, upgrade unsafe dumps, or control fugitive dust, while providing no deadlines for states to implement permit programs for over 1,300 aging coal ash dumps.
• The document asserts that S.3512 disproportionately harms low-income and minority communities, noting that 70% of ash ponds are located in areas where household income is below the national median.
• Contrary to the sponsors' claims, the letter argues that S.3512 discourages recycling by encouraging the continued use of ash ponds, as ash dumped in water cannot be easily recycled.
• The bill would nullify a proposed EPA coal ash rulemaking that received 450,000 public comments and would prohibit all future EPA rulemakings to control coal ash pollution.

APA

Earthjustice (2012). Senate bill 3512 leaves communities unprotected from toxic pollution. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/public-interest-letter-in-opposition-s3512.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Senate bill 3512 leaves communities unprotected from toxic pollution. 2012. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/public-interest-letter-in-opposition-s3512.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Senate bill 3512 leaves communities unprotected from toxic pollution |date=14 September 2012 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/public-interest-letter-in-opposition-s3512.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2012senate, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Senate bill 3512 leaves communities unprotected from toxic pollution}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2012}, month = sep, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/public-interest-letter-in-opposition-s3512.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }