Indiana Seeks Input As It Rewrites Rules On Coal Ash Disposal

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management, or IDEM, is writing new rules for the disposal of coal ash as part of a federal overhaul aimed at tightening regulations governing the waste product.

Coal combustion residuals, or CCRs, are a byproduct of burning coal for electricity. They’re commonly referred to as coal ash.

The new rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set requirements for how electric utilities dispose of coal ash. But the EPA leaves it up to the states to write a plan for meeting the federal requirements.

Indiana Department of Environmental Management Permitting Branch Chief Jeff Sewell said the federal rules are mostly concerned with coal ash containment.

“The main one would be the specific standards for surface impoundments, because right now Indiana’s regulations are very general," he said.

Most of the coal ash in the state is currently being held in either wet or dry pits. Some are covered on top, while some aren’t, and some -- but not all -- have an impermeable lining to prevent leaks. The new state plan will set specific requirements for those pits.

IDEM is currently taking public input on what the new plan governing coal ash should be. At a public comment meeting in Indianapolis, Sierra Club spokeswoman Jodi Perras was one of many who asked that utilities provide greater public access to company data on coal ash contamination in order to remedy a lack of trust through "transparency and honesty."

The public can send comments to IDEM on the plan until June 30th.