EPA Suggests Less-Stringent Approach On Coal Ash, Bolstering Industry

摘要

EPA says it is leaning toward regulating coal ash as a "solid waste" rather than as a "hazardous waste" subject to strict waste management rules, a move that is winning praise from industry groups concerned about the likely cost of stringent requirements and the uncertainty created by the agency's lengthy rulemaking process. According to its recently proposed effluent limitation guideline (ELG) for power plants, EPA says it has been able to significantly refine its estimate of the risks posed by the facilities' releases such that its "current thinking" indicates that the regulation of the waste under weaker subtitle D requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) "would be adequate." Relevant documents are available on InsideEPA.com. See page 2 for details.