The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved Virginia's coal combustion residuals (CCR) permit program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) on October 22.
After reviewing the CCR permit program application submitted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ), the EPA determined that Virginia's partial CCR permit program met the standard for approval under RCRA covering inactive and legacy CCR surface impoundments and CCR landfills, fugitive dust, groundwater monitoring and corrective action requirements, post-closure care requirements, compliance deadlines, facility inspections, permit issuance and enforcement orders.
Virginia's CCR permit program will operate in lieu of the Federal CCR program with the exception of aspects that the EPA will implement, such as extensions of recordkeeping and closure, maintenance of critical infrastructure and certain groundwater monitoring requirements. This action is effective on November 23, 2026. At this time, the EPA has approved State CCR partial permit programs in Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas, North Dakota and Wyoming, in addition to the Virginia program.
Coal-fired electric generating facilities have managed coal combustion residuals in surface impoundments and landfills. If not properly lined, these containment units can leak CCR that contain arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, lead, radium, selenium, and other contaminants into groundwater. These contaminants can cause cancer, heart disease, reproductive failure, stroke, and brain damage.
As of 2022, 746 CCR disposal units existed in 43 states, with 12 unlined units in Virginia. Fourteen states, including Virginia, have documented CCR disposal sites that have contaminated private water wells.
Click here to Virginia's CCR Permit Program approval.