"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken the first steps toward revoking Alabama’s coal ash permitting plan, saying the state’s plan does not do enough to protect rivers and drinking water from toxins.

If the EPA proposal is finalized, utilities in Alabama may be forced to excavate and remove millions of tons of wet coal ash slurry from unlined ponds alongside rivers in Alabama.

“Exposure to coal ash can lead to serious health concerns like cancer if the ash isn’t managed appropriately,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a news release. “Low-income and underserved communities are especially vulnerable to coal ash in waterways, groundwater, drinking water, and in the air.”"

Dennis Pillion reports for the Birmingham News August 3, 2023. [2]