[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4827 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4827

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
review regulations for municipal solid waste landfills to determine if 
    such regulations are, with the respect to the disposal of coal 
 combustion residuals in such landfills, protective of health and the 
                  environment, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 22, 2016

Mr. Johnson of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Conyers, Mrs. Watson Coleman, 
 Ms. Norton, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Gutierrez, and Ms. Plaskett) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
review regulations for municipal solid waste landfills to determine if 
    such regulations are, with the respect to the disposal of coal 
 combustion residuals in such landfills, protective of health and the 
                  environment, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Coal Ash Landfill Safety Act''.

SEC. 2. REVIEW OF REGULATIONS FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS THAT 
              RECEIVE COAL COMBUSTION RESIDUALS.

    (a) Review.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall complete a review of the regulations 
issued under the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) 
applicable to municipal solid waste landfills with respect to the 
disposal of coal combustion residuals at such landfills.
    (b) Contents.--In conducting the review under subsection (a) the 
Administrator shall--
            (1) determine, with respect to the disposal of coal 
        combustion residuals, if the regulations described in 
        subsection (a) for municipal solid waste landfills are at least 
        as protective of health and the environment as the regulations 
        set forth in the coal combustion residuals rule are for 
        landfills and surface impoundments that are subject to such 
        coal combustion residuals rule;
            (2) examine, with respect to the disposal of coal 
        combustion residuals, any differences in requirements, 
        protections, and impacts between the regulations described in 
        subsection (a) and the regulations set forth in the coal 
        combustion residuals rule, including--
                    (A) fugitive dust protections;
                    (B) groundwater monitoring for coal combustion 
                residuals specific parameters;
                    (C) cleanup standards for coal combustion residuals 
                contaminants;
                    (D) weekly, monthly, and annual inspection 
                requirements;
                    (E) a prohibition against placing coal combustion 
                residuals within 5 feet of groundwater;
                    (F) public access to compliance data and 
                information, including public posting of monitoring 
                data, corrective action plans, and inspection reports 
                on a publicly accessible Internet website; and
                    (G) disproportionate impacts to health and 
                environment of low-income and minority populations in 
                accordance with Executive Order 12898, ``Federal 
                Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority 
                Populations and Low-Income Populations''.
    (c) Revision of Regulations.--If, pursuant to the review under 
subsection (a), the Administrator determines that, with respect to the 
disposal of coal combustion residuals, the regulations applicable to 
municipal solid waste landfills described in subsection (a) fail to 
provide at least equivalent protection for health and the environment 
as the regulations set forth in the coal combustion residuals rule for 
landfills and surface impoundments subject to such coal combustion 
residuals rule, not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall revise the regulations applicable to 
municipal solid waste landfills that receive coal combustion residuals 
to provide equivalent or greater protection.
    (d) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Coal combustion residuals.--The term ``coal combustion 
        residuals'' means fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue 
        gas desulfurization materials generated from burning coal for 
        the purpose of generating electricity by electric utilities and 
        independent power producers.
            (3) Coal combustion residuals rule.--The term ``coal 
        combustion residuals rule'' means the rule entitled ``Hazardous 
        and Solid Waste Management System; Disposal of Coal Combustion 
        Residuals From Electric Utilities'' published at 80 Fed. Reg. 
        21302 (April 17, 2015) (including any successor regulation).
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