Peace Garden News

U.S. Senator John Hoeven announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) approval of North Dakota's application for a state-led coal ash recycling and disposal program. This initiative stems from bipartisan legislation authored by Hoeven in 2016.

The program aims to provide certainty for the safe and efficient recycling of coal ash, which can be used in construction as a cost-effective and durable form of cement. Coal ash has already been utilized in projects such as the North Dakota Heritage Center and the National Energy Center of Excellence at Bismarck State College.

Additionally, the program will establish an enforceable state permit system for coal ash disposal. This includes requirements for protective infrastructure at disposal sites and timely groundwater monitoring.

"North Dakota is leading the way in developing more energy with better environmental stewardship, which is why we authored and passed bipartisan legislation in 2016 to enable this states-led approach for recycling coal ash," said Hoeven. "We appreciate EPA working with our state to advance approval of North Dakota’s coal ash permit program, which will ultimately ensure that coal ash is managed in a way that works for our energy producers and the environment."

Hoeven's legislation was introduced following an EPA rule issued in 2014, which regulated coal as non-hazardous but lacked an effective enforcement mechanism. Without state programs like North Dakota's, regulation falls directly under the EPA.