North Dakota can now set its own rules for coal ash disposal

The US environmental regulators have approved North Dakota's plan to manage coal ash waste. This means the state, not the federal government, will now oversee how power plants dispose of coal combustion byproducts.

For years, federal rules dictated how coal ash, a toxic byproduct of coal power, had to be stored and managed across the country. This approval means North Dakota can now tailor those rules to its own conditions, potentially making it easier or cheaper for local power plants to operate. It shifts regulatory power from a national body to a state one, which could lead to different environmental standards and enforcement.