Trump Administration Proposes Coal Ash Rule Changes

The Trump administration proposed changes on Thursday to loosen federal regulations on the disposal of coal ash, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants that contains heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and cobalt capable of contaminating groundwater. The revisions target rules strengthened during the previous administration to address pollution from these facilities.

The Environmental Protection Agency's draft rule would ease groundwater monitoring and protection standards at certain coal ash sites, allow states and regulators to grant exemptions from national requirements, and limit cleanup obligations to specific dump areas rather than entire properties. It would also relax restrictions on reusing coal ash in materials like cement or structural fill, which the agency describes as beneficial uses. Owners would still need to demonstrate that ash poses no reasonable probability of harming human health or the environment.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that the proposal aligns with the agency's goals of "restoring American energy dominance, strengthening cooperative federalism, and accommodating unique circumstances at certain coal facilities." Federal officials cited...