Coal ash “contamination” in Indiana trail

An environmental group has identified a trail in Bloomington as a site that has been contaminated by coal ash from electric power generation.

The Environmental Integrity Project claims that the trail built on the former CSX Railroad tracks is one of 20 sites nationwide containing what it terms unsafe levels of coal ash.

The claim comes shortly after the EPA delayed its decision as to whether coal ash should be classified as a hazardous waste. Some Congressional representatives are working to block potential federal regulation of the byproduct of coal combustion, which is used to make drywall and other products. 

The Congressional effort, if successful, would provide states the first opportunity to regulate so-call “coal combustion residuals” (CCR).  If a state failed to regulate the CCR at or above the minimum standards set in the legislation, then the EPA could establish federal standards in the state. Concerns of industry include that if the CCRs receive a tag of “hazardous waste”, legitimate reuse markets for CCR would vanish, resulting in more material disposed rather than reused.  As such, there is an effort underway to find the middle ground that CCRs are sufficiently regulated to protect the environment, but not branded in such a manner that it is counterproductive.