Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Legacy CCR Surface Impoundments

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Parts 9 and 257</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OLEM-2020-0107; FRL-7814-04-OLEM]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2050-AH14</RIN> <SUBJECT>Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Legacy CCR Surface Impoundments</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> On April 17, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) promulgated national minimum criteria for existing and new coal combustion residuals (CCR) landfills and existing and new CCR surface impoundments. On August 21, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the exemption for inactive surface impoundments at inactive facilities (legacy CCR surface impoundments) and remanded the issue back to EPA to take further action consistent with its opinion in <E T="03">Utility Solid Waste Activities Group, et al.</E> v. <E T="03">EPA.</E> This action responds to that order and establishes regulatory requirements for legacy CCR surface impoundments. EPA is also establishing requirements for CCR management units at active CCR facilities and at inactive CCR facilities with a legacy CCR surface impoundment. Finally, EPA is making several technical corrections to the existing regulations, such as correcting certain citations and harmonizing definitions. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective on November 4, 2024. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2020-0107. All documents in the docket are listed on the <E T="03">http://www.regulations.gov</E> website. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, <E T="03">e.g.,</E> CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available electronically through <E T="03">http://www.regulations.gov</E> . <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> For questions concerning this proposal, contact Michelle Lloyd, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, Materials Recovery and Waste Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, MC: 5304T, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-0560; email address: <E T="03">Lloyd.Michelle@epa.gov,</E> or Taylor Holt, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, Materials Recovery and Waste Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, MC: 5304T, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-1439; email address: <E T="03">Holt.Taylor@epa.gov.</E> For more information on this rulemaking, please visit <E T="03">https://www.epa.gov/coalash</E> . </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. General Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Does this action apply to me?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. What action is the Agency taking?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. What is the Agency's authority for taking this action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. What are the incremental costs and benefits of this action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. 2015 CCR Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. 2018 USWAG Decision</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. 2020 Part B Proposed Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. 2020 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. 2023 Proposed Rule and Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. 2023 Notice of Data Availability</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. What is EPA finalizing?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Risks From Legacy CCR Surface Impoundments and CCR Management Units</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Summary of May 2023 Proposal</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. 2023 Draft Risk Assessment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Response to Comments on the Proposal and the NODA</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. 2024 Final Risk Assessment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Legacy CCR Surface Impoundment Requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Definition of a “Legacy CCR Surface Impoundment”</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Applicable Requirements for Legacy CCR Surface Impoundments and Compliance Deadlines</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. CCR Management Unit Requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Damage Cases</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Applicability and Definitions Related to CCR Management Units</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Facility Evaluation for Identifying CCR Management Units</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Applicable Requirements for CCR Management Units and Compliance Deadlines</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Closure of CCR Units by Removal of CCR</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. March 2020 Proposed Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. What is EPA Finalizing Related to the March 2020 Proposed Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Technical Corrections</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Effect on State CCR Permit Programs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. The Projected Economic Impact of This Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Introduction</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Affected Universe</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Baseline Costs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Costs and Benefits of the Final Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">Regulatory Text</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">List of Acronyms</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">ACM Assessment of Corrective Measures</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">ANPRM Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">ARAR applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">ASD alternative source demonstration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">CAA Clean Air Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">CBI Confidential Business Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">CBR closure by removal</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">CCR coal combustion residuals</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">CCRMU coal combustion residuals management unit</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">CIP closure in place</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">COALQUAL U.S. Geological Survey coal quality database</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">CWA Clean Water Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">DOE Department of Energy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">EAP Emergency Action Plan</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">EIA Energy Information Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">EIP Environmental Integrity Project</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">EJ environmental justice</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">ELG Effluent Limitation Guidelines</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">EPA Environmental Protection Agency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">EPACMTP EPA Composite Model for Leachate Migration with Transformation Products</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">EPRI Electric Power Research Institute</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">FER Facility Evaluation Report</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">FGD flue gas desulfurization</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">GWMCA groundwater monitoring and corrective action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">GWPS groundwater protection standard</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">HQ hazard quotient</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">HSWA Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">ICR Information Collection Request</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IRIS Integrated Risk Information System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">LEAF Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">MCL maximum contaminant level</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">MDE Maryland Department of the Environment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">MNA monitored natural attenuation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">MODFLOW-USG Modular Three-Dimension Finite-Difference Ground-Water Flow Model</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">MSW Municipal Solid Waste</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">MW Megawatts</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">NAICS North American Industry Classification System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">NERC North American Electric Reliability Corporation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">NODA notice of data availability</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">NPDES National Pollution Discharge Elimination System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">NPL National Priorities List</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">NTTAA National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">OAFU Other Active Facilities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">OLEM Office of Land and Emergency Management</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2"> OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">P.E. Professional Engineer</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">PM particulate matter</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">PRA Paperwork Reduction Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">PRG preliminary remediation goal</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">PUC Public Utility Commission</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">QA/QC quality assurance/quality control</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">RIA Regulatory Impact Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">RME reasonable maximum exposure</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">RTO Regional Transmission Organizations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">SMCL secondary maximum contaminant level</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">SSI statistically significant increase</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">SSL statistically significant level</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">TDS total dissolved solids</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">TSDF Transportation Storage and Disposal Facility</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">TVA Tennessee Valley Authority</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">USGS U.S. Geologica ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 1315k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━