EPA Hearings on Coal Ash

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is hosting five public hearings on the Agency’s June 21, 2010 proposal to regulate the disposal and management of coal ash from coal-fired power plants. EPA invites the public to provide written comments on the proposal until September 21, 2010. Each hearing will begin at 10 a.m. and continueuntil 9 p.m., local time or later if necessary. To help the Agency plan for attendance at the hearings, they encourage you to preregister to speak at the hearings, additionally, walk-ins and written comments will be accepted at each hearing. The proceedings of each hearing will be transcribed by a court reporter for the official record. The Agency will consider all significant comments in its final decision.

When:

August 30: Hyatt Regency, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202, Phone: (703) 418-1234.

September 2: Grand Hyatt, 1750 Welton Street, Denver, CO 80202, Phone: (303) 295-1234.

September 8: Hyatt Regency Dallas, 300 Reunion Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75207, Phone: (214) 651-1234, http://www.dallasregency.hyatt.com/.

September 14: Holiday Inn Charlotte (Airport), 2707 Little Rock Road, Charlotte, NC 28214, Phone: (704) 394-4301.

September 16: Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605, Phone: (312) 922-4400.

September 21: Omni Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, Phone (412) 281-7100.

September 28: Seelbach Hilton, 500 Fourth Street, Louisville, KY 40202, Phone (502) 585-3200.

To preregister to speak at the hearings, please visit: or call 703-308-8429

Background: EPA’s proposal is the first-ever national effort to ensure the safedisposal and management of coal ash from coal-fired power plants. The need for national management criteria and regulation was emphasized by the December 2008 spill of coal ash from a surface impoundment near Kingston, TN. The Agency has proposed two main management approaches, one of which effectively phases out surface impoundments, moving all coal ash to landfills; the other allows coal ash to be disposed insurface impoundments, but with stricter safety criteria.

More information about the proposed regulation

Chart comparing the two approaches