The Trump administration plans to shift regulation of coal ash disposal to states, a move that could slow or reverse federal cleanup efforts at some of the nation’s most contaminated sites.
Jonathan Zhao reports for Circle of Blue.
In short:
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced in March that it will give states greater authority over coal ash management, potentially weakening the 2015 federal rules aimed at preventing water pollution from ash disposal.
- Indiana, home to several major coal-fired plants, is seen as a test case; the state has pledged not to exceed federal minimum standards, despite widespread contamination from unlined coal ash pits.
- Environmental advocates warn that if federal rules are weakened or enforcement lapses, states may deregulate to attract industry, reviving conditions that led to severe groundwater contamination in the past.
Key quote:
“The states had the option of regulating coal ash disposal for all the years prior to 2015, and what we got was abysmal. Most coal ash was disposed of in the floodplain in leaking, unlined pits that contaminated the groundwater.”
— Indra Frank, coal ash specialist, Hoosier Environmental Council
Why this matters:
Coal ash is a toxic byproduct of burning coal for electricity. It contains harmful substances like arsenic, lead, and mercury, which can leach into groundwater and rivers when stored in unlined pits — a method still widely used across the U.S. Despite longstanding awareness of its health risks, including links to cancer and reproductive harm, coal ash disposal remained largely unregulated until 2015. Shifting control back to states raises fears of regulatory backsliding, especially in regions with a long history of lax enforcement. In Indiana and other coal-heavy states, contaminated drinking water and ecological damage could worsen if cleanup requirements are weakened or ignored under the new policy direction.
Related: States push for coal ash control as federal oversight weakens
