The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a plan on Thursday to hand over control of coal ash disposal monitoring from the federal government to the state of Louisiana.
If the proposal gets finalized, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality will take over the responsibility for permitting coal combustion residuals, or CCR, in local landfills and surface impoundments. CCR, commonly known as coal ash, is the leftover waste produced by coal-fired power plants.
The EPA announced that it reviewed Louisiana’s application and determined the state’s proposed program meets all necessary federal standards for approval. Under federal law, states that take over these programs are required to maintain regulations that are at least as protective of human health and the environment as the federal baseline.
If approved, Louisiana will mark the sixth state to get the green light for its own coal ash program under the current administration. The federal agency noted that it is also reviewing applications from other regions and expects to propose similar permitting decisions for at least three more states in the near future.
Federal officials framed the decision as a move to cut down on redundant government oversight and leverage local knowledge.
“Today’s proposed approval is a win for cooperative federalism and for Louisiana,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said. “By empowering the state’s experts who understand their communities and energy industry best, we’re protecting human health, delivering the regulatory certainty industry needs, and helping Power the Great American Comeback.”
Regional Administrator Scott Mason added that the policy shifts decision-making to the people closest to the ground.
“By approving Louisiana’s CCR program, EPA is ensuring the Pelican State has the freedom to determine how best to utilize their own energy industry without regulatory overlap,” Mason said. “The Trump Administration knows that states are in the best position to implement their own environmental programs while powering our nation’s energy economy.”
The move follows a series of policy adjustments by the EPA over the last year. In March 2025, the agency pledged to speed up reviews of state applications and update federal coal ash rules, subsequently granting program approvals to North Dakota and Wyoming. More recently, in April 2026, the EPA proposed updates to federal regulations to allow more site-specific flexibility in permitting and promote resource recovery.
Earlier in 2026, the agency also pushed back compliance deadlines for certain facility evaluations and groundwater monitoring requirements. That followed a November 2025 proposal extending an alternative closure deadline, an action the agency said was aimed at maintaining electric grid reliability by keeping a specific subset of coal-fired power plants running longer.
The EPA is opening a 60-day public comment period to gather feedback on the Louisiana proposal. The agency will also host a formal public hearing regarding the decision on July 21, 2026.
READ: Florida, Tennessee Lawmakers Push To Change China’s Embassy Address To ‘Tiananmen Square’
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
