The 2015 CCR Rule added protection of water resources and standards for coal ash disposal. Court decisions in 2016 and August 2018 found that portions of the original rule were not strong enough. View a summary of the rule and changes since 2015.
In 2017, under the Trump Administration, the EPA proposed weakening the CCR Rule, and in July 2018, EPA finalized a portion of the rollback despite strong opposition from environmental and public health organizations.
The EPA’s changes to the coal ash rule set Indiana up for more groundwater contamination, a reduction in the number of contaminated sites that get cleaned up, slower cleanups for those that do, and a higher risk of coal ash spills. The administration in Washington is promoting these changes as increased flexibility for the states, but prior to the first coal ash rule in 2015 the states had 100% flexibility and in Indiana that was disastrous. The Hoosier Environmental Council testified against the rollback. See HEC’s written comments to EPA.
In October 2018, the Hoosier Environmental Council joined a coalition of environmental groups challenging the rollback in court.