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Title: Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act
Vote Smart's Synopsis:
Vote to pass a bill that authorizes each state to adopt and implement a coal combustion residuals permit program, and limits the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate the disposal of coal combustion residuals.
Highlights:
- Authorizes each state to adopt and implement a coal combustion residuals permit program for the disposal of coal combustion residuals (Sec. 2).
- Requires the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to defer to the states with respect to the regulation of coal combustion residuals (Sec. 2).
- Limits the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to providing only technical assistance that the state agency overseeing a coal combustion residuals permit program has requested (Sec. 2).
- Defines “coal combustion residuals” as (Sec. 2):
- Coal combustion wastes that are produced in conjunction with the combustion of coal;
- Fluidized bed combustion wastes;
- Wastes from the co-burning of coal with non-hazardous secondary materials, provided that coal makes up at least 50 percent of the total fuel burned; and
- Waste from the co-burning of coal with materials that are recovered from mono-fills.
- Authorizes states to decline to apply one or more requirements of a coal combustion residuals permit program if the state determines that such requirements are not needed for the management of coal combustion residuals in that state (Sec. 2).
- Requires the governor of each state to notify the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency within 6 months after passage of this bill whether or not the state will adopt and implement a coal combustion residuals permit program (Sec. 2).
- Requires the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a coal combustion residuals program in a state if the following are true (Sec. 2):
- The state notifies the administrator that it will not establish a program;
- The state fails to remedy deficiencies found in its program; or
- The state notifies the administrator that it will stop implementing its program.
- Specifies that nothing in this bill shall be construed to alter the current status of coal combustion residuals as non-hazardous waste (Sec. 3).
- Exempts surface mining and reclamation operations from the provisions of this bill (Sec. 2).