EPA Proposal To Forgo Power Sector CERCLA Rule Prompts Mixed Reaction

Industry groups are praising EPA’s proposal to forgo setting financial responsibility requirements under the Superfund law for the electric power generator sector, saying a recent court precedent backs the plan, but environmentalists argue EPA’s approach increases the risks of groundwater contamination from coal ash dump sites. “[I]mposition of financial responsibility requirements is not warranted due to the Electric Power Industry’s record of fully funding hazardous substance cleanups for which the industry is responsible, the limited risk that the industry will...