Coal-ash management by U.S. electric utilities: Overview and recent developments

• Historical and potential costs of coal ash in the U.S.
• Brief summary of the Environmental Protection Agency's 2014 final rule relating to coal ash.
• Uncertainties relating to the cost of implementation and compliance are discussed.

This article briefly presents the historical and potential costs of coal-ash dam failure and disposal site leakage in the U.S. Highlights of the Environmental Protection Agency's 2014 final rule relating to regulation of coal ash as solid waste under Subtitle D of the Resource and Recovery Act, as well as current uncertainties relating to the cost of implementation and compliance by electric utilities, are discussed.