James Bruggers - Watchdog Earth

Coal ash study looks at state rules, finds them lacking
Posted on August 17, 2011 by James Bruggers

Watchdog Earth and Courier-Journal readers will know that I've been covering coal ash since 2002, long before it was a national cause. A special project I did for the newspaper that year spelled out the basic problem — that this voluminous waste product filled with toxic heavy metals was hardly regulated, and only through a patchwork of different state policies.

Today environmental groups issued a report that evaluates coal ash management regulations state by state. It concludes that a strong federal program is needed because states aren't doing the job, including Indiana and Kentucky.

See that report, online, here.

"This report proves unequivocally that state programs, without federal mandates or oversight, are a recipe for disaster when it comes to protecting our health and our environment," said Lisa Evans, senior legislative counsel at Earthjustice and a co-author of the study, in a written statement. "Strong, federally enforceable safeguards are needed to guarantee that our drinking water remains free of arsenic, lead, mercury and other toxic metals found in coal ash. The myth that states are doing a good job protecting Americans from coal ash is busted."

A press release about the study can be found here.

Meanwhile, everyone is still waiting for the EPA to act on its promise to enact meaningful national regulations to safely manage all coal burning wastes.

The EPA has proposed two approaches, one more stringent than the other. Industry has opposed the stricter approach, saying it would be too costly and discourage recycling the material.