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Join EDGI and coal ash expert Dr. Grace Schwartz on May 20 for a workshop on EPA’s proposed rule to weaken coal ash waste storage standards. We’ll provide important info and tools to write public comments on this proposal.
When: May 20, 2026 2:00-3:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM -12:00 PM PT
Where: Zoom
Registration: Click here to register
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In the sections below we provide a list of resources to contextualize the rule, as well as information to write and submit your own public comments
Overview of the proposed rule and introduction to coal combustion residuals: EPA is proposing to roll back regulations on the disposal and management of coal combustion residuals (CCR), also known as coal ash. Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal and is known to contain toxic contaminants. It is often disposed of in surface impoundments or landfills, or is discharged into waterways near power plants. Proper management is necessary to ensure these contaminants don’t pollute groundwater and drinking water. The proposed rule threatens to walk back disposal site rules and cleanup requirements.
The Federal Register is the official daily publication of the U.S. federal government. All proposed and final rules are required to be published in the Federal Register. When writing a public comment, the proposed rule is the most critical document to read thoroughly, since your public comment is in response to this document. The best place to start is the “Background” or “Introduction” section, as those sections of proposed rules provide useful information about the history of an issue and the agency’s assertion about its authority or responsibility to (de)regulate it, and they often provide information about assumptions that may underlie the proposed rule.
The Federal Register notice for this proposed rule can be found here:
The docket on regulations.gov is the home for documents relevant to a rule, including the proposed or final rule itself, technical supporting documentation, regulatory or other impact analyses, and other documents the rulemaking working group deems necessary. Public comments that have already been submitted can also be found in the rule’s docket. Anyone can submit a public comment digitally through the docket on regulations.gov.
The docket for this proposed rule can be found in Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2020-0107 at Regulations.gov, here:
Within this docket, there are relevant technical documents for the proposed rule. Depending on the interest of the commenter, several documents may be of use: