US environmental regulators withdraw rule for old coal ash ponds

US environmental regulators are withdrawing a rule that would have set new standards for old coal ash disposal sites. This means these sites will not immediately face stricter federal cleanup requirements.

This withdrawal means that thousands of old coal ash ponds, many of which are unlined and leaking, will continue to operate under less stringent oversight. The rule aimed to close a loophole that exempted these 'legacy' sites from federal regulations applied to newer coal ash ponds. Without this rule, the responsibility for cleanup and monitoring falls back to state-level regulations, which vary widely.