FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2026
CONTACT
Dan Radmacher, Media Specialist, (276) 289-1018, dan@appvoices.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shared plans to weaken landmark coal ash protections, following a year of pressure from industry. The EPA’s actions roll back key parts of the 2015 and 2024 “Coal Combustion Residuals,” or CCR, rules, which were the first federal regulations on coal ash storage and cleanup.
The sweeping changes reflect an industry wishlist of rollbacks for weakening and rescinding standards for closing hundreds of unlined coal ash ponds and dry ash dumps, weakening protections for safe reuse of coal ash and delaying groundwater contamination monitoring, cleanup, closure and reporting deadlines.
Coal ash is what is left behind when power companies burn coal for energy. It is a toxic mix of hazardous pollutants, metals, carcinogens and neurotoxins. Coal power plants have been in operation and producing coal ash in the United States since the 1940s. For decades, utilities have dumped coal ash in unlined pits and landfills, where most of it still remains and leaks toxic pollution into groundwater. In worst-case scenarios, the storage units can fail and allow the sludge to flood nearby rivers or lakes.
“We all need clean water. The coal power industry has been getting away with unchecked pollution of our groundwater for 80 years,” said Appalachian Voices Director of Public Power Campaigns Bri Knisley. “Ninety-one percent of coal plants have contaminated groundwater with toxic chemicals above federal safety standards, according to industry data. This move by the EPA will harm the health of nearby families, and we urge the public and elected officials to speak out.”
Two disasters in the Southeast — the 2008 Kingston coal ash spill and the 2014 Dan River coal ash spill — were the main drivers of the first CCR rule that passed in 2015.In 2024, the “Legacy CCR rule” was finalized by the EPA, which brought hundreds of additional coal ash sites, including many across Appalachia, under regulation for the first time.
“Today’s announcement is a blow for communities like ours in Tennessee that have been suffering from coal ash pollution for decades,” said Gabi Lichtenstein, Appalachian Voices Tennessee Program Coordinator. “We are disappointed and angry to see the EPA concede to pressure from an industry that prioritizes money above our safety. But make no mistake — the fight is not over, and we will not stop demanding the protections we deserve. We will fight even harder.”
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