EPA’s State Coal Ash Permitting Push Alarms Environmentalists

The prospect of North Dakota likely becoming the fourth state to regulate its own coal waste disposal is jarring to environmentalists who say they’re worried about relaxed safety standards as the industry gets a Trump-powered boost.

The Environmental Protection Agency indicated when it announced North Dakota’s state takeover proposal May 12 that it wouldn’t review the state’s existing permits to see if they met federal guidelines. It also encouraged more states to apply for coal ash oversight.

But environmentalists say past permitting activity should be a key consideration when deciding whether to let a state implement coal ash management programs ...