Frank Pallone: “In response to the chairman of the subcommittee, I just want to stress again that I don't think that you should rely on…”

“In response to the chairman of the subcommittee, I just want to stress again that I don't think that you should rely on EPA's decision to regulate as nonhazardous, meaning that coal ash is considered nontoxic. The fact of the matter is that the EPA has never said that it is not a toxic material, and they continue to say that it is dangerous. If it ends up in drinking water, groundwater, or air, it is toxic. That is why I will take the time now, Mr. Chairman, to read from the SAP, or the Statement of Administration Policy, from the Executive Office of the President. Their main concern in issuing this Statement of Administration Policy is the impact on public health and the environment. I just would like to read it. It says: ``The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 1734, because it would undermine the protection of public health and the environment provided by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) December 2014 final rule addressing the risks posed by mismanaged impoundments of coal ash and other coal combustion residuals (CCR). The 2008 failure of a coal ash impoundment in Kingston, Tennessee, and the 2014 coal ash spill into the Dan River in Eden, North Carolina, serve as stark reminders of the need for safe disposal and management of coal ash.…”