Coal Power and Toxic Waste Regulation

The Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump proposed on April 9, 2026, to weaken national rules on disposal of coal ash, a toxic byproduct of coal‑fired power plants that can contaminate groundwater with heavy metals like mercury, lead and cobalt. The draft rule would ease groundwater monitoring and cleanup standards at some coal ash sites, allow states and other regulators to grant exemptions from federal requirements, and roll back Biden‑era mandates to clean up entire coal plant properties—including ash used as fill land—rather than only disposal pits. It would also relax limits on "beneficial use" of coal ash in products such as cement and structural fill, even as opponents warn this effectively opens the door to leaving ash in contact with groundwater at sites like the Gavin Power Plant in Ohio and Michigan City Generating Station on Lake Michigan. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin framed the move as advancing "American energy dominance" and responding to industry claims that health risks were overstated, while environmental groups argue the changes gut core protections and could shift long‑term contamination and cleanup costs onto nearby communities. The proposal will now go through a public‑comment and review process before any final rule is issued, setting up a major regulatory and legal fight over how strictly the U.S. will police legacy pollution from coal plants.