EPA Raises Early Defenses Against Likely Suit Over Ash Program Approval

EPA is raising early legal defenses against environmentalists' promised legal challenge to the agency's approval of Oklahoma's first-of-its-kind coal ash disposal permit program, with EPA downplaying as irrelevant environmentalists' claims that the Sooner State lacks the resources to adequately implement its new permitting regime. The agency published late on June 18 its formal finding that Oklahoma's permit program is “at least as protective” as the 2014 federal ash rule, including a response to comments where it argues that environmental groups'...