EPA keeps federal control over some Louisiana coal ash

For Louisiana power plants and coal-ash landfills, the real change is not a clean handoff from Washington. EPA is proposing to let Louisiana run most coal combustion residuals, or CCR, permits, but federal rules would still remain on the books for the parts the state does not cover.

CCR is the ash and other waste left after burning coal. The permits decide how that material is stored and disposed of, which is why utilities, plant operators, regulators and nearby communities have a stake in who writes the rules.

A handoff with limits

EPA says it preliminarily determined Louisiana’s CCR permit program meets the standard for partial approval under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. If the agency finalizes that call, the state program would operate in place of the federal CCR program for the provisions EPA approves.

That is the key limit. The state’s program does not cover the full federal CCR rule, and the federal requirements that are left out would still apply directly to affected units in Louisiana. In other words, the state would gain authority, but EPA would not disappear from the picture.

What still stays under federal control

The federal requirements that are not part of Louisiana’s approved program would remain directly applicable and federally enforceable. EPA also says a list of amendments to the CCR requirements in 40 CFR part 257, subpart D was not included in Louisiana’s application, and those provisions would continue to apply in the state unless the proposal changes before final action.

The public window is still open

EPA is taking comments through Aug. 4, 2026, and plans a hybrid public hearing. That keeps the decision open while the agency weighs which parts of Louisiana’s program meet the federal standard and which coal-ash requirements would still be handled from Washington.