House Energy Committee Wants To Undercut The EPA’s Coal Ash Regulations

"A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee debated Wednesday whether to undercut the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s rule on disposing of coal ash, a toxic byproduct of burning coal. The debate came just a day before the Sierra Club announced a new lawsuit against Dominion Power over coal ash pits leaking into the Elizabeth River, 25 miles outside Virginia Beach.

The House bill, titled the “Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act,” would create a guideline for states to implement and enforce the EPA rule, which in large part governs the disposal of coal ash. One of the most common ways companies dispose of coal ash is by storing it in man-made ponds or lagoons, of which there are hundreds across the country.

The EPA’s first-ever coal ash rule, which requires all new coal ash pits to be lined and calls for some of the hundreds of old, unlined pits to be cleaned up, was criticized by environmentalists for not reaching far enough when it was released in December."

Samantha Page reports for Climate Progress March 19, 2015.