"The federal government promoted some uses of coal ash, including wallboard or filler in road embankments, without properly testing the environmental risks, according to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general.

The inspector general's report released Wednesday said sites where coal ash was used for earthworks, like road embankments or berms, 'may represent a large universe of inappropriate disposal applications with unknown potential for adverse environmental and human health impacts.'

The EPA is considering imposing stricter regulations for coal ash, or fly ash, a byproduct of burning coal at power plants. The rule changes were prompted by a 2008 environmental disaster at a Tennessee power plant that released more than 5 million cubic yards of ash into a river and nearby lands."

Dylan Lovan reports for the Associated Press March 24, 2011. [2]