Supreme Court Denies Stay on EPA Coal Ash Rule

The Supreme Court has rejected a request from East Kentucky Power Cooperative to block the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) legacy coal ash rule, which aims to prevent toxic waste from contaminating groundwater. This decision allows a challenge to the rule to continue in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The rule, stemming from a settlement with public interest groups, extends safeguards to coal ash dump sites that were previously unregulated. The cooperative argued that the rule imposes 'unrecoverable compliance costs,' but the Supreme Court did not provide a reason for its denial. The coal ash in question contains hazardous materials, including mercury and arsenic, and the rule mandates actions to prevent leakage from storage ponds at closed coal plants. This marks the second time the Supreme Court has denied a stay on this rule, emphasizing ongoing concerns about the environmental impact of coal ash disposal.