Source: Georgia Recorder

Excerpt:

Juliette resident Gloria Hammond has watched as families moved away from their homes located next to what was once the largest coal-fired power plant in the country.

On Wednesday, Hammond urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to follow through with its rejection of Alabama’s proposed coal ash disposal rules. The agency’s denial is part of the Biden administration’s broader crackdown on sites EPA officials say fall short of federal requirements.

The EPA’s decision on the Alabama Department of Environmental Management’s application also has implications for Georgia, where Georgia Power operates coal-fired power plants and manages retired plants that store toxic coal ash. The environmental community has been advocating for federal and state regulators to force Georgia Power to remove coal ash and dispose of it in lined landfills to protect groundwater.

On Wednesday, the EPA held a virtual public hearing dominated by Alabama and Georgia residents opposed to loosening toxic coal ash cleanup restrictions. The federal agency is set to make a final ruling once the public comment phase concludes on Oct. 13.

Read more: Georgia coal ash pond neighbors channel frustrations through proposed EPA crackdown in Alabama