July 17, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, EPA issued a direct final rule and companion proposal that will extend the compliance deadlines for coal combustion residual (CCR) management unit (CCRMU) requirements. These changes will allow polluters to delay compliance with critical groundwater monitoring and site evaluation requirements, protections that are vital to safeguarding groundwater, public health, and the environment.
STATEMENT FROM NANCY STONER, SENIOR ATTORNEY,
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & POLICY CENTER
“The EPA’s delay in implementing the coal ash rule puts the Great Lakes — and the 42 million people who rely on them for clean drinking water — at greater risk of toxic contamination from nearby coal ash sites. Many of these coal ash sites sit dangerously close to the lakes and rising water levels only heighten the threat. By delaying action, the EPA is failing to uphold its responsibility to protect Midwest communities, ecosystems, and the economy that depend on the health of the Great Lakes.”