More Visionary Leadership From Shitstain's EPA; Make Toxic Coal Ash Dumps As Big As You Like!
The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed scrapping restrictions on arsenic-laden waste from coal-fired power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed lifting some regulations on coal ash, the residue left after burning coal, which is filled with hazardous substances that can leach into the water supply and cause health problems.
“I can say without hesitation that this is an extremely dangerous proposal that will do lasting harm to communities near coal ash reuse sites and coal ash waste piles,” said Lisa Evans, senior counsel with Earthjustice.
Coal ash is used in a variety of ways, largely as a replacement for soil. It can be used to create level ground for construction projects or sprinkled over landfills as a protective cover. But coal ash has been deemed responsible for contaminating water with arsenic, which is linked with some types of cancer. The latest proposal from the EPA would eliminate restrictions from 2015 that limited coal ash use to 12,400 tons per site. The Trump administration proposal would allow projects to use as much coal ash as they want but would have to file a demonstration that shows the project won’t cause harm if it’s close to certain features like groundwater or wetlands.
But Evans said that’s not a realistic safeguard. “That demonstration doesn’t have to be defended to any regulatory agency or be posted for public notice or be written by any engineer or environmental professional,” Evans said. “You’ve got a fairly meaningless demo having to be created.”
EDIT
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/455386-epa-proposal-scraps-limits-on-coal-plant-waste
