EPA proposes to weaken safeguards against coal ash pollution in groundwater, threatening community drinking water sources around the country
Rollback would undermine monitoring and cleanup requirements meant to prevent toxic pollution from leaking into water supplies
WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed rollbacks to regulations that require coal-burning power plants to monitor and clean up their toxic coal ash that contaminates groundwater. The proposal would make it easier for power plants to extend deadlines for closing unlined coal ash ponds, undermine national monitoring and corrective action standards, and eliminate requirements entirely for certain types of coal ash dumps.
Coal ash—the toxic byproduct of burning coal—contains hazardous pollutants, including arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, lead, radium, and selenium, which are linked to serious health harms such as cancer, heart disease, and brain damage, among other lasting impacts.
Following is reaction from Becky Hammer, senior attorney at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“EPA is proposing to turn back the clock on basic protections that have helped keep toxic coal ash pollution out of our groundwater and drinking water supplies. Re-setting the clock on these dirty ash ponds is a big deal: the longer they operate, the longer they contaminate people’s water. And stopping the monitoring just continues to keep the problem hidden as it impacts communities across the country.
“Consider this rollback of basic protections that have helped limit coal ash pollution to be the latest in a long, long, line of Trump Administration giveaways to fossil fuels industries.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).