Trump Administration Guts Rule Limiting Toxic Wastewater from Coal Plants

Washington, D.C. – In response to the Trump Administration’s roll back of a crucial rule aimed at limiting coal plants’ ability to dump toxic waste, such as coal ash, into public waterways, Frank Holleman, Senior Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), released the following statement:

“There is no reason to rethink the common-sense conclusion that our drinking water supplies and rivers need to be protected from dangerous coal ash pollution. These important standards keep toxic and cancer-causing pollutants out of our rivers, lakes, and drinking water reservoirs. Communities across the Southeast are asking for protection from coal ash and coal ash pollution. At the very least, we should stop coal ash from dumping dangerous pollutants into our clean water. By stopping these important protections, the Environment Protect Agency and the Administration are turning their backs on families and communities across the Southeast and the country who are counting on their government to protect their drinking water and their health.”

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The Southern Environmental Law Center is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. With nine offices across the region (Charlottesville, VA; Chapel Hill, NC; Atlanta, GA; Charleston, SC; Washington, DC; Birmingham, AL; Nashville, TN; Asheville, NC; and Richmond, VA), SELC is widely recognized as the Southeast’s foremost environmental organization and regional leader. SELC works on a full range of environmental issues to protect the South’s natural resources and the health and well-being of all the people in our region. www.SouthernEnvironment.org