Pruitt Hands Over Responsibility for Coal Ash Pollution to Oklahoma

Tulsa, OK—Yesterday, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt granted the request by his home state of Oklahoma to exempt coal ash dumps from federal oversight. This decision puts the health and welfare of Oklahomans at risk and it violates federal law. The move is especially shocking in light of evidence that every coal ash dump in the state tested positive for toxic contamination in nearby groundwater.

Oklahoma’s new rules would allow coal ash landfills and impoundments (ponds) to have permits that last "for life," meaning they will not be revisited periodically to ensure they are not endangering nearby communities or the environment. In contrast, permits for hazardous waste landfills, air pollution, and wastewater discharges must be renewed at regular intervals. Moreover, under the state’s program, many key decisions about how coal ash dumps are operated would be made behind closed doors, depriving the public of the opportunity to weigh in on whether operators are doing enough to protect Oklahoma communities.

Sierra Club and its allies, represented by Earthjustice, have opposed the Oklahoma program and intend to challenge EPA’s approval of that program.

In response, Sierra Club Oklahoma Chapter Director Johnson Bridgwater released the following statement:

“Scott Pruitt exempting Oklahoma coal ash dumps from federal oversight is akin to getting a promotion after failing every single performance review ever taken. The test results are staggering. The serious water contamination from coal plants that happened right under the State of Oklahoma’s nose is proof that they are not willing to protect their residents from toxic coal ash pollution. Sadly, we have 54 lakes in Oklahoma officially polluted and posted as contaminated with mercury--a direct result of the byproducts of burning coal in our state. Not to mention the poor citizens of Bokoshe, Oklahoma, who can attest to how their waters have been polluted by coal ash.”