On June 4, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality received U.S. EPA’s proposed approval of its coal combustion residuals (CCR) permit program application. If finalized, the action would shift authority for permitting CCR disposal in surface impoundments and landfills from the federal government to the state. EPA will hold a 60-day public comment period, which will include a public hearing on July 21. For more information, register for the public hearing or visit the Louisiana CCR permit program webpage.
Louisiana’s proposed approval follows similar efforts of other states that have secured proposed or final EPA approvals – Georgia, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming. EPA anticipates proposing CCR permit program decisions for at least three additional states in the near future. On March 12, the agency committed to taking swift action on CCR, including state permit program reviews and updates to the CCR regulations. Approved states cannot have CCR regulations and policies that are less protective of human health and the environment than the federal regulations.
