{"abstract":"On April 17, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) promulgated national minimum criteria for existing and new coal combustion residuals (CCR) landfills and existing and new CCR surface impoundments. On August 21, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued its opinion in the case of Utility Solid Waste Activities Group v. EPA, 901 F.3d 414 (per curiam) (USWAG). This rule finalizes regulations, proposed on December 2, 2019, to implement the court's vacatur of the 2015 provisions. The court vacated provisions that allowed unlined impoundments to continue receiving coal ash unless they leak, and classified \"clay-lined\" impoundments as lined, thereby allowing such units to operate indefinitely. In addition, EPA is establishing a revised date by which unlined surface impoundments must cease receiving waste and initiate closure, following its reconsideration of those dates in light of the USWAG decision. Lastly, EPA is finalizing amendments proposed on August 14, 2019, to the requirements for the annual groundwater monitoring and corrective action report and the requirements for the publicly accessible CCR internet sites.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY","name":"Environmental Protection Agency","id":145,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/145","parent_id":null,"slug":"environmental-protection-agency"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2020/08/28/2020-16872.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"257","title":40}],"citation":"85 FR 53516","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This final rule is effective on September 28, 2020.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172 and EPA-HQ-OLEM-2018-0524","FRL-10013-20-OLEM"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2020-16872","effective_on":"2020-09-28","end_page":53566,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2020/08/28/2020-16872.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/08/28/2020-16872/hazardous-and-solid-waste-management-system-disposal-of-coal-combustion-residuals-from-electric","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2020-16872?publication_date=2020-08-28","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2020-08-28/2020-16872/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":51,"page_views":{"count":9936,"last_updated":"2026-10-25 10:15:05 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-08-28/pdf/2020-16872.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-16872.pdf?1598532314","publication_date":"2020-08-28","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2020/08/28/2020-16872.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2050-AH10":{"issue":"202004","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2050-AH10/hazardous-and-solid-waste-management-system-disposal-of-coal-combustion-residuals-from-electric-util","title":"Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals from Electric Utilities; A Holistic Approach to Closure Part A: Deadline to Initiate Closure","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202004&RIN=2050-AH10&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2050-AH10"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Post Signature Change to the Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) from Electric Utilities (Tier 3; SAN 7136; RIN 2050-AH10)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0187"},{"title":"Supporting Statement for a Request for OMB Review under the Paperwork Reduction Act","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0186"},{"title":"Examples of Compiled Alternative Closure Documents from CCR Internet Sites","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0182"},{"title":"Executive Order 12866 Review Draft; Regulatory Impact Analysis submitted to the Office of Management and Budget on June 22, 2020","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0181"},{"title":"Executive Order 12866 Review Draft; Regulatory Impact Analysis cleared by the Office of Management and Budget on July 23, 2020","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0180"},{"title":"Construction Certification for the Weston Units 3 & 4 Ash Basins Liner Retrofit, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, Weston Generating Station, Rothschild, Wisconsin (November 29, 2017)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0177"},{"title":"Technical Memorandum: Closure Plan - Revision No. 1, Apache Generating Station, Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc, Cochise County, Arizona (October 13, 2016)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0176"},{"title":"EPA Meeting with NRECA - January 28, 2020","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0061"},{"title":"Data for RIA Exhibits 2-1-A, B, and C","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0044"},{"title":"EPA Hearing Transcript of Proceedings 1.7.20 MINI","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0042"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2050-AH10/hazardous-and-solid-waste-management-system-disposal-of-coal-combustion-residuals-from-electric-util","title":"Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals from Electric Utilities; A Holistic Approach to Closure Part A: Deadline to Initiate Closure"},"comments_count":0,"agency_id":"EPA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172","supporting_documents_count":37,"docket_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172-0175","regulation_id_number":"2050-AH10","title":"Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals from Electric Utilities; A Holistic Approach to Closure Part A: Deadline to Initiate Closure","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2020-08-31T03:00:07Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":53516,"subtype":null,"title":"Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; A Holistic Approach to Closure Part A: Deadline To Initiate Closure","toc_doc":"Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals from Electric Utilities; A Holistic Approach to Closure Part A: Deadline to Initiate Closure","toc_subject":"Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System:\n","topics":["Environmental protection","Hazardous waste"],"type":"Rule","volume":85}