Washington, DC– Yesterday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee announced it will hold a hearing on bipartisan legislation addressing problems with the EPA’s coal ash regulation next week.

The Senate coal ash bill is identical to an amendment offered by Rep. David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV) last year.

“For five years we have been working to protect jobs and ensure coal ash can be recycled and disposed of in a responsible and safe manner,” said McKinley. “The House has taken action on this issue six times since 2011, but we have always run into a wall in the Senate, making this latest development all the more important.”

“While we succeeded in persuading the EPA to not label coal ash a hazardous material, the final rule they issued is problematic and creates uncertainty due to its reliance on enforcement by lawsuit,” said McKinley. “This legislation will fix the rule by empowering states to manage coal ash and offering certainty for recyclers and producers of coal ash.”

In July 2015, a bipartisan majority in the House passed Rep. McKinley’s coal ash bill (H.R. 1734). However, the White House threatened to veto the bill. The updated version was crafted to address the Administration’s concerns and allow this issue to finally be resolved.

“Congress has been wrestling with this issue for too long, with hundreds of thousands of jobs hanging in the balance,” said McKinley. “I am pleased the Senate is taking up this proposal, and look forward to bringing closure to this issue.”

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