EPA gives final approval to Virginia's coal combustion residuals permit program

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced final approval of Virginia's coal combustion residuals (CCR) permit program, which allows the commonwealth, rather than the federal government, to permit CCR disposal in surface impoundments and landfills.

EPA said it reviewed the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's CCR permit program application and determined that the program meets all standards for approval. According to the agency, Virginia is the sixth state to have its CCR permit program approved by EPA, and approved states cannot have CCR regulations and policies that are less protective of human health and the environment than the federal regulations.

"By putting Virginia’s experts in charge of managing their own resources, landscapes, facilities, and communities, we’re making sure local knowledge guides environmental protection and economic growth," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said. EPA has proposed approvals for Louisiana, Alabama, Wisconsin and Indiana. The agency said it anticipates finalizing other CCR permit program decisions in the near future.