11-04-2019, 02:54 PM
Quote:The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday announced it would roll back regulations on how coal-fired power plants dispose of waste laden with arsenic, lead and mercury. The proposal from the Trump administration weakens an Obama-era rule dealing with the residue from burning coal, known as coal ash, which is often mixed in water and stored in giant pits that could leech into local waterways. The 2015 Obama administration rule required power plants to invest in wastewater treatment technology -- measures they estimated would stop some 1.4 billion pounds of coal ash from entering rivers and streams. It also assumed many companies would voluntarily install additional pollution controls. The proposal was spurred by a court decision ordering EPA to overhaul the unlined ponds.EPA rolls back rule on waste from coal-fired power plants | TheHill