(ARLINGTON, VA.) — National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) CEO Jo Ann Emerson thanked Rep. David McKinley for his leadership on the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015, which passed the House today.
“We appreciate Congressman McKinley’s leadership in bringing this bill to the House floor. This bipartisan approach will solidify the non-hazardous designation and enable reliable state implementation and enforcement. The state permits authorized by this bill fully protect groundwater and the environment while minimizing needless litigation,” said Emerson. “It also offers a predictable business environment for the safe and effective reuse of materials that can help strengthen our national roadways and other infrastructure.”
Through state permits the legislation implements the standards for safe disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) finalized last year by the Environmental Protection Agency and codifies the designation of CCR as non-hazardous. It also prevents the EPA from revisiting the question of whether CCR is non-hazardous every three years, creating a certainty that encourages continued beneficial reuse of the material.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.