On March 12, 2025, EPA announced it planned to review the coal ash rule and issued guidance explaining the agency will prioritize imminent threats to human health at active facilities in its coal ash enforcement. On July 22, 2025 EPA issued a direct final rule and a proposed rule to extend compliance deadlines for the May 2024 rule. Due to significant adverse comments, EPA withdrew the direct final rule on Sept. 4, 2025. EPA accepted comments on the proposed rule until Sept. 15, 2025.
To learn more about coal ash regulations, see EELP’s Coal Ash Tracker Page.
Background
On May 18, 2023 EPA proposed a rule that would impose safeguards for the first time on coal ash impoundments at inactive facilities, including requiring proper closures and remediating any coal ash contamination in groundwater. Coal ash (also called coal combustion residuals or CCR) can cause serious public health risks and leak into groundwater, and these legacy impoundments tend to be concentrated in communities of color, low-income communities, and linguistically isolated communities. EPA released additional data on Nov. 11, 2023, and comments on these data were due Dec. 11, 2023. For more information on the proposal, read EPA’s Fact Sheet.