Admin note: We recently invited ACC member and coal combustion products (CCP) management experts, Charah, Inc. to prepare an editorial for the Coalblog and monthly member update newsletter. In this article, they describe how they beneficially used CCPs to help ensure their newly constructed corporate headquarters met LEEDs program requirements. We invite you to check out the article and Charah’s website (www.charah.com) to learn more about their offerings.

ACC CEO, Janet Gellici, quoted in the Citizens for Recycling First blog.

“Use of CCPs has been increasing for the past four decades, evolving into a multi-billion dollar industry here in the U.S.,” said Janet Gellici, American Coal Council CEO. “Our ability to continue increasing the amount of CCPs used beneficially, however, may be in jeopardy. Technologically, the coal ash universe is expanding and we’re finding more and better ways to use CCPs. But EPA’s pending regulations that may classify coal ash as a hazardous waste could seriously harm continued utilization.”

Read the remainder of the post here.

In a Coalblog post yesterday, we discussed the creation of a new citizen’s advocacy group — Citizens for Recycling First.

As part of the ACCs continuing efforts to bring you the most up to date market information and business intelligence, we have confirmed John Ward, Chairman of Citizens for Recycling First to speak at the upcoming Spring Coal Forum in Tampa (Clearwater), March 2-4 at the Sandpearl Resort and Spa. He will be discussing how coal ash regulation impacts our economy and energy production.

Since the failure of the TVA coal ash impoundment last December, we’ve been inundated with media and environmental group reports about the hazards of coal ash. However, a brief look at the science shows that coal ash is not so hazardous after all. In fact, the EPA has repeatedly determined that regulation of coal ash and coal combustion products under the Resource and Recovery Act (RCRA) is “unwarranted”.

To help get the facts out to the public, a new citizens advocacy group — Citizens for Recycling First — has formed to “oppose regulatory proposals and environmentalist claims that threaten the continuing use of coal ash as a valuable, green construction material.

Proposed EPA regulations to limit the recycling and beneficial use of CCPs (coal combustion products) could have some frightening implications for our economy and environment.

CCP recycling and use currently provides $6.4 – $11.4 in annual economic benefits, significant environmental benefits, reduced energy consumption, water savings, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

All of those economic, social, and environmental benefits — and many more — stem from our growing use of coal combustion products (CCP’s). However, pending EPA regulations that could classify coal ash as a “hazardous waste” could have substantial negative impacts on this growing industry.