Prohibit EPA from Regulating Fly Ash as a Hazardous Material

Floor Speech

Mr. McKINLEY. Today, Mr. Speaker, I am introducing legislation that will prohibit the EPA from regulating fly ash as a hazardous material.

Fly ash is an unavoidable byproduct of burning coal to produce electricity. Fly ash has been repeatedly tested and approved by the EPA for use by America's customers. Recycling fly ash helps to keep electric generation costs down, which in turn keeps electricity affordable for all our consumers. But if the EPA persists with its plans to designate fly ash as a hazardous material, the expense of handling the material will increase logarithmically, and so will our energy costs.

Why would this administration want to increase the cost of electricity on our senior citizens, hospitals, schools, and American families?

President Obama's relentless war on coal has been an unmitigated job killer and will have a ripple effect on all industries, especially those that recycle fly ash. That's why I am proud to introduce this legislation, which has bipartisan support among my colleagues as well as over two dozen special groups.

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