US environmental regulators withdraw rule extending deadlines for coal ash disposal

US environmental regulators have withdrawn a rule that would have given coal power plants more time to clean up their toxic ash ponds. This means the original, stricter deadlines for managing coal ash waste remain in place.

Coal ash is a toxic byproduct of burning coal, containing heavy metals that can contaminate water and soil. The original rule required power plants to close or upgrade these ash ponds by specific dates. Withdrawing the extension means coal plants must stick to those earlier, more aggressive timelines, which could force some older, less profitable plants to close sooner.