Well, it’s here.  Rather they’re here.  We have been anxiously awaiting EPA’s proposed national regulations on coal ash and are surprised to have not one, but two proposals on the table.  EPA has proposed two options to regulate coal ash: a plan to classify coal ash as hazardous waste and another to regulate it as non-hazardous.  The difference between the two is stark and means the difference between business as usual (over 100 environmental contamination cases nationwide and still counting) or federally enforceable standards that will protect the public and environment from the hazards of coal ash.  Read more here.

There will be a 90-day public comment period during which Prairie Rivers Network will be working hard with and on behalf of Illinois citizens to make the case for EPA to adopt the most protective safeguards.   Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved – we’ll need all the help we can get!

To read the proposed rule, and to view a comparison of the key provisions of each approach, click here http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/ccr-rule/index.htm.

For more on coal ash waste, see our previous posts. If you haven’t already, take 8 minutes to see the YouTube video (a fact-sheet set to photos), created by the Environmental Integrity Project. Coal ash is the second largest industrial waste stream in America!