Paul Tonko: “Once again, the House is considering a bill to set standards for coal ash disposal. Unfortunately, H.R. 1734 does not…”

“Once again, the House is considering a bill to set standards for coal ash disposal. Unfortunately, H.R. 1734 does not contain standards that will prevent the problems from poor disposal practices that have plagued communities across the country for far too long. H.R. 1734, the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act, largely maintains the status quo, a system that is operated by the States with no uniform Federal standards, and the status quo isn't good enough. In the 35 years since Congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA, the Environmental Protection Agency has been studying the issue of coal ash disposal. During this same time, the regulation of these facilities has been done by the States, and communities in many States have experienced serious problems related to improper disposal of coal ash. Spills resulting from coal ash impoundment failures have polluted water supplies, destroyed private and public property, and resulted in lengthy and expensive cleanup efforts. Action on this issue is long overdue. Last December, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule to strengthen the regulations on the disposal of coal ash. The final rule was published in the Federal Register in April. The rule was in development for many years. It is the result of an extensive public process.…”