US environmental regulators want to take over coal ash disposal permits
What happened
US environmental regulators are moving forward with a plan to create a federal permit system for coal ash disposal. This means coal-fired power plants would need federal approval to get rid of their waste, not just state or local permits.
Why it matters
Coal ash disposal has been a patchwork of state and local rules for decades. This has led to varied environmental outcomes and different cleanup costs. A federal permit program would standardize requirements across the country, making it harder for plants to dump waste cheaply.
The signal
Watch for the final rule and whether it forces more coal plants to close or invest heavily in new disposal methods.