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EPA proposing to regulate production of coal ash
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In 2008, after the Tennessee Valley Authority power plant spilled 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash in and around the Emory River, the regulation of such plants began gaining urgency to environmentalists and the public.
As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency is holding hearings around the nation to discuss current and future practices for the disposal of coal ash, which contains harmful substances such as arsenic, cadmium and mercury.
The latest meeting, held in Denver, was the first of seven planned gatherings.
Annual coal ash generation is continuing to grow – increasing from 118 million tons in 2001 to 136 million tons in 2008. Currently, the country does not have a uniform set of rules to regulate its disposal and as a result, many times the ash ends up in unlined or clay-lined landfills and ponds where it can harm groundwater and, eventually, public health.
The EPA is proposing to require monitors for special coal ash landfills. However, it is currently debating whether to regulate it as hazardous waste – allowing for federal enforcement – or granting authority and implementation to state governments.
Thirty-five senators have signed a letter in favor of state regulation due to the perceived inefficiency of the federal government.
However, some think that federal involvement is the only way such regulations will be enacted. "If they go with the other option, it will be business as usual and nothing will get done," Montana rancher Clint McRae told BusinessWeek.
At the Denver hearing, more than 100 speakers signed up to comment, including several power producers and business owners who believed new regulations could threaten jobs and livelihoods.
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