Coal Ash Amendments May Prevent EPA from Regulating Coal Ash
The U.S. House of Representatives is considering two amendments that would force EPA to exempt coal ash from hazardous waste requlations and effectively prevent EPA from adopting regulations needed to prevent continued use of unlined coal ash ponds discharging into drinking water reservoirs along the Catawba River and other rivers.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 4 of the top 44 highest hazard coal ash ponds in the United States are located on the Catawba River. An additional coal ash pond is located at the Wateree Steam 
Station on the Wateree River. Two of EPA's High Hazard Coal Ash Impoundments are located on Mountain Island Lake upstream from the primary water intakes for approximately 700,000 people in Charlotte, Gastonia, Mt. Holly and Belmont. According to 2005 U.S. Dept. of Energy numbers, over 200,000 tons of Coal Ash Waste is stored adjoining the Catawba River in Gaston County and 33,500 tons of coal waste is stored adjoining the Catawba River in Catawba County.
As a result of the concentration of unlined coal ash ponds in the Catawba-Wateree basin, Catawba Riverkeeper has been one of the leaders in the effort to request that EPA adope regulations to protect our drinking water from unlined coal ash ponds. However, we are in danger of losing the coal ash fight because of two anti-coal ash amendments tacked onto the House budget legislation.
These two amendments, Amendment 10 offered by Congressman Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Amendment 217 offered by David McKinley (R-WV), would prevent EPA from regulating coal ash as a hazardous waste by explicitly preventing the funding of a subtitle C rule. If passed, the amendments, which are nearly identical, would require EPA to regulate coal ash as a nonhazardous waste under subtitle D. EPA’s only option would be to issue guidelines for states that not mandatory and that are unenforceable by EPA. The amendments would maintain the status quo of lax (or absent) state oversight of coal ash dumping and would guarantee that polluters will have the legal right to continue to dump coal ash in unlined pits and ponds.
Thus, we are asking you to call your representatives in Congress TODAY- ASAP- and ASK THEM TO VOTE "NO" ON AMENDMENTS 10 AND 217. Time is of the essence. Your calls will make a difference. Even if the amendments pass in the House, if the margin is not great, we may be able to defeat the amendment in the Senate.
Calling your representative is simple. To locate the telephone number of your member of Congress, use the link below - just insert your zip code.
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
THANK YOU for your help at this critical time.
