NGWA submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on December 29 regarding its proposal to extend by three years the compliance deadline for certain coal combustion residuals (CCR) surface impoundments.
The EPA announced on November 25 a proposal to extend the closure deadline for certain coal combustion residuals (CCR) surface impoundments operating under the alternative closure provisions.
This proposal would defer the deadline from October 17, 2028, to October 17, 2031, for a small subset of owners and operators to cease operation of coal-fired boilers and complete the closure of unlined CCR surface impoundments larger than 40 acres.
This extension would apply to CCR surface impoundments operating under the alternative closure provisions for permanent cessation of a coal-fired boiler by a certain date.
Unlined pits that hold waste from coal-fired power plants can contaminate groundwater. In its comments to the EPA, NGWA states that “the three-year deadline extension for disposal of CCR wastes in large unlined impoundments is an endangerment to groundwater for private, public, and homeowner water wells.”
NGWA also stated, “The impacts of unlined and clay lined coal ash surface impoundments to groundwater quality have been well documented, posing endangerment to underground sources of drinking water for nearby water systems.”
NGWA also expressed in past comments the preference for a shortened time to end CCR accumulation in unlined surface impoundments. Click here to read NGWA's comments.