Trump EPA Plan to Put Louisiana in Charge of Toxic Coal Ash Threatens Drinking Water

The Trump administration's EPA is planning to hand oversight of Louisiana's coal ash waste to the state's own environmental agency, rather than keeping federal enforcement in place. Coal ash is the waste left over from burning coal at power plants, and it contains arsenic, mercury, lead, and other heavy metals linked to cancer and other serious health problems. Environmental groups, including Earthjustice and the Sierra Club, are pushing back, pointing to groundwater testing at all three of Louisiana's active coal plants near Baton Rouge, Alexandria, and Shreveport, plus one retired plant, that found contamination above federal safe drinking water limits. More than 61 percent of Louisiana residents rely on groundwater for some or all of their drinking water.

The groups argue the state's environmental agency has a poor track record on this issue, including letting coal plants close ash dumps while ash remains in contact with groundwater, which can keep contaminating water supplies indefinitely. Critics say the agency is understaffed, lenient with polluters, and has been faulted for weak air monitoring and permitting decisions in the past.

This is a policy fight over who regulates coal ash sites in Louisiana, not a new requirement or rebate program for homeowners elsewhere. If you live near a coal plant in Louisiana or get drinking water from groundwater in the state, this is worth watching, since it could affect how closely toxic waste sites near you get monitored going forward.