EPA Decides That Coal Ash, Which Pervades Our Homes, Is Non-Hazardous

From roof shingles to drywall to concrete countertops, products made with leftover waste from coal-fired power plants are in many U.S. homes.

About 45 percent of this dustlike materialknown as coal ashis recycled into products as elemental as pavement and foundations. Such reuse, up from 30 percent in 2000, is generally considered safe and welcomed by most everyone, from utilities seeking to lower disposal costs to environmentalists looking to lower carbon emissions.

But that's only half the story.

The other 55 percent of coal ash, which can contain toxic substances like arsenic, is often stored in ponds next to waterways. In December 2008, more than a billion gallons leaked into the Emory River and nearby land from the Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee. And in February of this year, up to 39,000 tons spilled into the Dan River from a Duke Energy coal plant in North Carolina. (See related story: "Giant Toxic Coal Ash Spill Threatens Animals.")

So on Friday, facing a court-ordered deadline, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made a long-awaited decision: Coal ash needs to be safely disposed of but is not a hazardous waste. (See related story: "Largest U.S. Coal Ash Pond to Close, But Future Rules Still Undecided.")

To the dismay of environmentalists, the EPA's determination keeps coal ash in the same category as household garbage. Still, the agency called for regular safety inspections, the closure of landfills that fail to meet standards, groundwater monitoring, and dust controls around coal-ash sites.

A Boon for Recycling?

The coal industry, which lobbied heavily against a "hazardous" label that could have required costly disposal rules, says the EPA decision could spur an uptick in coal-ash recycling.

"There's a lot of market demand for this material," says Thomas H. Adams, executive director of the American Coal Ash Association, noting interest from green-building groups and others that favor reuse.

He says a common type of coal ash, called fly ash, makes concrete more durable andby reducing the need to manufacture cementalso lowers greenhouse-gas emissions. Adams adds that another type of coal ash, synthetic gypsum, is used in about 50 percent of U.S. drywall, while a third type, boiler slag, appears in about 80 percent of roof shingles.

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EPA Decides That Coal Ash, Which Pervades Our Homes, Is Non-Hazardous