No More Coal Ash in Our Trash? EPA Moves to Close Coal Ash Loophole

The EPA is seeking public comment on whether it should close the loophole in a rule that currently exempts certain landfills from its 2015 rule on coal ash disposal. 

Coal ash is a toxic byproduct of burning coal. Coal ash has harmful metals, like mercury and arsenic, and other dangerous chemicals. These chemicals become even more dangerous when they enter our water supplies.

“As coal plants continue to close, it is critical that operators address decades of toxic waste left in unlined pits and prevent contamination…”  

Although the rulemaking is likely months to years away, the loophole closure would presumably regulate the “inactive landfills” that stopped accepting coal ash before October of 2015.