EPA Delays Coal Ash and Groundwater Monitoring Requirements

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday announced a final rule pushing back compliance deadlines for coal ash groundwater monitoring and closure reports.

Under the new rule, coal plants would have another year to complete required reports identifying the location and size of facilities that have coal combustion residual management units. The facilities would also get another three years to comply with the groundwater monitoring requirements, according to a statement from the agency.

For example, the deadline for one of the steps, installing the groundwater monitoring system, was moved from May 2028 to February 2031.