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. Comments were originally due Jul. 23, 2023. 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. To learn more about coal ash regulations, see EELP’s Coal Ash Tracker Page.