Hearing on Coal Ash Scheduled for Louisville

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold an additional public hearing in Louisville on its proposed plans for regulating the waste from coal fired power plants.The hearing is scheduled for September 28^th at the Seelbach Hilton in downtown Louisville.  And it’s been added to accommodate the growing interest in the agency’s renewed efforts to regulate so-called coal combustion waste, especially since the disastrous Tennessee coal ash spill in late 2008.  The EPA is proposing a couple of ideas for handling the waste; both would essentially phase out wet storage in ponds. That’s because harmful chemicals can leach out into groundwater.  But one of the more controversial ideas would classify the waste as hazardous – a move electric utilities say could increase customers’ bills.More details on the hearing and the proposed rule are available here.