The Trump administration has proposed weakening federal regulations governing the disposal of coal ash, a waste product from burning coal that contains hazardous heavy metals including mercury, lead and cobalt. The proposal would ease groundwater monitoring requirements near some coal ash sites and allow exemptions from national standards.

The regulations being revised were strengthened during the Biden administration in 2022 and 2024. Under the current rules, owners of coal ash disposal sites must monitor groundwater and clean up contamination. The new proposal would also eliminate requirements to clean up entire coal properties, focusing instead only on specific dump sites.

The revisions would also make it easier to reuse coal ash in products like cement and structural fill. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the proposal reflects the agency's "commitment to restoring American energy dominance, strengthening cooperative federalism, and accommodating unique circumstances at certain (coal) facilities."

What the Right Is Saying

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin framed the proposal as a return to cooperative federalism that accommodates site-specific circumstances. The agency said industry and others have argued the health risks from coal ash were overstated in previous EPA assessments.

The Utility Solid Waste Activities Group, an industry association representing utilities, expressed support for the changes. Executive Director John Mavretich said the group "appreciates EPA's efforts to address the significant challenges our members are facing in implementing" existing regulations and "supports changes that move away from the existing 'one-size-fits-all' framework and incorporate site-specific flexibility, an approach that is common in other environmental programs."

Coal industry associations have argued that stringent rules raise the cost of operating coal plants and push them into retirement prematurely. A coalition of coal and energy associations wrote last year that EPA's regulations "needlessly diverted funds from the power sector's efforts to meet the Nation's growing energy needs" and increased costs "without corresponding benefits to public health or the environment."

The administration has also halted planned shutdowns of several coal plants, citing the need for consistent power during major storms or periods of high demand and arguing that without them, the grid would be less reliable.

What the Left Is Saying

Environmental advocates and progressive groups say the proposal undermines critical protections against groundwater contamination. Nick Torrey, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, said "opening the door to leaving ash in groundwater undermines one of the central protections of this rule, and that's essentially what this does."

Lisa Evans, senior counsel at environmental group Earthjustice, called the proposal "a sledgehammer to the health protections in place for toxic coal pollution" and "yet another handout to the coal power industry at the expense of our health, water, and wallets."

Local activists have expressed concern about specific sites affected by the changes. At the Michigan City Generating Station in Indiana, near Lake Michigan, activists worry about land composed in part of coal ash that was scheduled for cleanup under 2024 rules. The Biden-era regulations set deadlines for cleanup at such sites, which would be eliminated under the proposed rule.

What the Numbers Show

Coal ash disposal is governed by rules first established during the Obama administration after environmental disasters prompted federal action. The EPA began addressing coal ash after a dike failure in Tennessee in 2008 spread ash over 300 acres, forcing a massive cleanup. Workers involved in that effort said exposure caused cancers.

In 2014, tens of thousands of tons of coal ash spilled in North Carolina. These disasters led to the initial federal standards requiring companies to line new storage sites, monitor water and close leaky ponds.

The 2024 rules eliminated exemptions granted to some older coal ash sites. The new proposal would allow states and regulators to grant exemptions from national standards, which environmental advocates say could open the door for more sites to leave ash in contact with groundwater.

The EPA has estimated cost savings from the proposed changes. The agency maintains that industry has demonstrated health risks from coal ash were overstated in previous assessments.

The Bottom Line

The proposal represents the latest Trump administration effort to relax environmental regulations on the fossil fuel industry. If finalized, it would reduce federal oversight of coal ash disposal and give states more flexibility in enforcing cleanup requirements.

The public comment period will determine the timeline for any final rule change. Environmental groups have indicated they will likely challenge any final rule in court, similar to previous legal battles over coal ash regulations. The outcome could affect dozens of coal plant sites across the country where ash is currently stored near waterways and groundwater sources.