EPA to hold in-person public hearing June 28 in Chicago re: new draft Coal Combustion Residuals rule

Thanks to the advocacy of MWEJN partner Just Transition Northwest Indiana and others, the EPA is holding the only in-person public hearing in the country on a new draft Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Rule. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, June 28th, in Chicago at the Kimpton Gray Hotel, 122 W. Monroe St. A virtual one will follow on Wednesday, July 12th. Hearing registration and rule details can be found here.

From Just Transition Northwest Indiana:

Of the estimated 566 landfills and ponds at 242 coal plants in 40 states unregulated by the EPA, we know the vast majority are contaminating our drinking water, rivers, streams, and Great Lakes and harming the health and well-being of all. In my community of Michigan City, Indiana, an estimated 2 million tons of toxic coal ash fill remains on the shores of Lake Michigan, leaking into the collective drinking water supply for more than 12 million people. 

Due to the consent decree that we championed with our incredible partners at Earthjustice and numerous environmental, civil rights, and public interest groups, including us, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a new draft Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Rule last week that proposes to finally begin closing a loophole that previously exempted half of our nation’s coal ash waste from federal regulation. If the rule goes into effect, for the first time in history, hundreds of older coal ash landfills, legacy ponds, and historic fill sites nationwide will now be subject to groundwater monitoring, closure, and cleanup.

This is only the beginning! While this is a big leap forward for environmental justice, the EPA must complete the job to include all toxic coal ash sites across the country and commit to enforcement, regardless of where or when they were created! EPA is holding a 60-day public comment period. From now until July 17th, this is our collective moment to organize and ensure ALL coal ash dumps are cleaned up so that no community or worker is without protection under federal rule.