Toxic Spills Highlight Trump's Deregulation of Coal Plant Waste
- EPA relaxed Obama-era rule on coal ash from power plants
- Fears of environmental disasters at North Carolina sites
Coal byproduct is seen spilling over Sutton cooling lake into the Cape Fear River.
Source: Duke Energy
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The breach of a pond used to store coal ash in North Carolina has revived criticism of the Trump administration’s efforts to loosen restrictions on how power plants dispose of the toxic waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency in July relaxed Obama administration requirements that forced companies to keep a closer watch on coal ash disposal sites and their potential groundwater contamination -- and signaled further revisions sought by industry are coming.