rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/stop-the-epa-plan-to-weaken-coal-ash-protections?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-stop-the-epa-plan-to-weaken-coal-ash-protections' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> The Tipping Point https://actionnetwork.org/groups/the-tipping-point https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/letters/photos/000/443/589/normal/coal_ash_0.png The EPA is putting polluters first—again. In a deeply alarming move, the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed weakening critical safeguards on toxic coal ash, one of the most dangerous waste products in America. This plan would roll back protections that keep hazardous contaminants out of our drinking water and away from our communities—putting millions of people at risk. Coal ash contains a toxic mix of heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. For decades, this waste has been dumped into unlined pits and landfills, where it can leak into groundwater, contaminate rivers, and threaten public health. Monitoring has already revealed contamination at many coal plants nationwide . Instead of addressing this crisis, the EPA is proposing to weaken oversight—exempting certain sites from regulation, reducing monitoring requirements, and making it easier for pollution to go undetected. These changes would dismantle hard-fought protections designed to prevent catastrophic spills and long-term environmental damage. The proposal would also expand how coal ash can be reused in construction and industrial applications. By loosening limits on incorporating this toxic waste into materials like concrete or using it as structural fill, the EPA risks spreading contamination beyond disposal sites and into everyday infrastructure—creating new threats to communities and ecosystems. Communities living near coal ash dumps—often low-income communities and communities of color—already face disproportionate exposure to pollution. Weakening these protections will only deepen those inequities and increase the risk of cancer, respiratory illness, and contaminated drinking water. And this is not just a public health issue—it’s a climate issue. Coal ash is the toxic legacy of coal-fired power, one of the largest contributors to climate change. Instead of accelerating the transition to clean energy, this proposal reinforces our dependence on one of the dirtiest fossil fuels. We’ve seen the consequences of weak oversight before: devastating coal ash spills that poisoned rivers, destroyed ecosystems, and left communities with lasting health risks. Ignoring those lessons now is reckless and unacceptable. The EPA’s responsibility is to protect people—not polluters. Send a message to the EPA now and demand they reject this dangerous rollback. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-the-epa-plan-to-weaken-coal-ash-protections