I t is easy to get frustrated with “pendulum swinging” CCR Regulations because we have seen this playbook before … with very limited results. The EPA announced it’s prioritizing a number of timely actions on coal ash, including state permit program reviews and updates to the coal ash regulations. The Agency plans to work [...]
A coalition of U.S. power companies is demanding “immediate action” from the Trump administration to roll back federal regulation of coal ash and rescind recent enforcement actions. Further examination of the “U.S. power companies request” reveals some telling truths. There are good arguments from both sides, but the fact remains that there is not one [...]
U nwrap the TOOLS to leapfrog past the evolving CCR regulations and provide all stakeholders, especially the Utilities, with three key strategies that can drive success. Apply Pull–Through Method of Regulatory Approval Adhere to the KISS Principle of Strategy Prepare Yourself with the Right Tools “You cannot solve this non-traditional coal ash basin closure [...]
H ere we go again! As a result of the 2024 election, the environmental regulations pendulum will swing from the far left to the far right; at least it seems. Through regulations, which some have considered excessive, transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels has been the main driver over the Obama/Biden years with [...]
The new coal ash rules were announced in tandem with three other regulations designed to reduce pollution from power plants. While it could take years to see how the other three rules will ultimately play out and how utilities will respond, the coal ash cleanup in this country has shifted into a higher gear. EnCAP-IT [...]
R egulatory certainty is here, at least for Legacy CCR Surface Impoundments or CCR Management Units. The EPA has defined “Legacy CCR Surface Impoundment”, the term “liquids”, the distinction “contains both CCR and liquids” and a “CCR Management Unit” to close loopholes and confusion, providing regulatory certainty. NOW is the time for facility owners to [...]
T he energy industry is steadily evolving beyond fossil fuels and shifting to more renewable and sustainable sources. This is fantastic news for the planet, but before this transformation can be complete, we must address the fossil fuel legacy of nearly 2 billion tons of coal ash stored in inefficient and environmentally perilous ways [...]
I n all discussions of coal ash disposition — either through beneficial reuse or keeping it intact but contained — the overriding concern is safety. The cap-in-place solution has been solidly debunked from a safety standpoint. The market for beneficiation of coal ash in building products still lags far behind the over-abundance of legacy CCR. [...]
Based on the wide-spread reaction of our last post, we thought that is would be good to further explain “the choices” that could be available to all stakeholders (utilities, EPA, politicians, state regulators, environmental groups, and local communities) dealing with excavated legacy coal ash. Before any choices are revealed, all the stakeholders must decide [...]
Despite years of controversy …. All stakeholders (utilities, EPA, politicians, state regulators, environmental groups, and local communities) will have to decide on “dig it up” or “cover it up” as a middle-path solution. When that happens, the stakeholders will have to make choices as for the methods to deploy. In all these discussions of [...]
