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.