Back

Director's Picks

New EPA Rule Could Accelerate Cleanup of Coal Ash Dumps

Summary

A new EPA rule aims to close a decade-long gap in federal regulation that allowed old coal ash dumps to escape monitoring and cleanup requirements. The rule, prompted by a loophole in previous regulations, extends monitoring and remediating requirements to coal plants and impoundments that shut down before October 2015. It also includes surface dumps of coal ash, ensuring a comprehensive approach to managing coal combustion residuals (CCRs). The EPA estimates the compliance cost of the new rule to be between $214 and $240 million annually, primarily borne by waste site owners. Environmental advocates see the rule as a significant step toward holding polluters accountable and protecting water resources, while industry representatives express concerns about potential impacts on recycling activities. The ultimate effectiveness of the rule may depend on strong enforcement and political support.

discover more

January 8, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change

New Clark City, a $2.5 billion project in the Philippines, is designed to be a climate-resilient urban hub with plans for green infrastructure, renewable energy, and flood-resista

January 8, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change

President Biden’s new ban on offshore oil and gas drilling excludes the western Gulf of Mexico, the area responsible for 97% of U.S. offshore oil production. The ban protects the

January 7, 2025

UN Special Rapporteur Elisa Morgera has called for fundamental reforms to the global climate regime, criticizing the current system as ineffective and dominated by misinformation

January 4, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change

Rising sea levels caused by climate change threaten to severely damage 13 major oil ports globally, including key facilities in Saudi Arabia, the US, China, and the Netherlands. A

January 3, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change

In a landmark decision, the Montana Supreme Court ruled 6-1 in favor of 16 youth plaintiffs in *Held v. Montana*, affirming their constitutional right to a “clean and healthful en

January 3, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change

AI-driven weather forecasting models are proving faster, cheaper, and more accurate than traditional numerical methods reliant on expensive supercomputers. These tools leverage ma

January 3, 2025
Energy Justice
Energy Justice

Elon Musk, alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President-elect Donald Trump. Tasked with cutting $2 trillion in federal spend

January 2, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change

Texans are increasingly adopting microgrids as a solution to frequent winter power outages, driven by extreme weather events and grid reliability concerns. Unlike generators, micr

January 2, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change

Chicago’s municipal buildings, including airports and water treatment plants, now run entirely on renewable energy, powered by the new Double Black Diamond Solar Farm in Illinois.

January 1, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change

In Mexico, extreme heat disproportionately affects young people, with workers aged 18–34 and children under 5 facing the highest heat-related mortality rates. A study analyzing 73

January 1, 2025

Thermal energy networks, or neighborhood-wide ground-source heat pump systems, are emerging as a revolutionary approach to decarbonizing heating and cooling. These systems use int

December 30, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

Texas’s rapid population growth and infrastructure demands pose challenges for equitable development. With $104 billion allocated in the 2025 United Transportation Program, the Te

December 27, 2024

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Climate Change Superfund Act, requiring fossil fuel companies to pay $75 billion over 25 years for climate damage repair and resilience p

December 27, 2024

Battery storage for clean energy surged in 2024, with U.S. capacity increasing by 71% to 24 gigawatt-hours. Batteries help reduce reliance on polluting "peaker" plants by storing

December 26, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

Brooklyn homeowners in historically disinvested neighborhoods are benefitting from EnergyFit, a program retrofitting two- and three-family homes with energy-efficient upgrades.