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On Thursday, Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) spoke on the House floor to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw a proposal that would identify coal ash as a “hazardous waste” under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Congressman Latta spoke on behalf of the Subcommittee on Environment and Economy of the House Energy and Commerce Committee as part of an overall, Republican Conference effort to inventory and review federal regulations with respect to their negative effect on jobs and economic growth.

“Overstating the harms of coal ash and designating it as a hazardous waste will damage our economy by raising costs for both families and companies,” said Congressman Latta. 

Approximately 45 percent of the coal ash generated is recycled as building materials.  A move to regulate coal ash would stifle building materials from recycled coal and would force more ash to landfills.  The EPA’s regulatory determination would make a safe and beneficial product incur $16.7 billion in increased costs per year, according to the agency’s own reports. 

 “The increased cost would lead to a 18 percent decline in coal generated power; resulting in higher unemployment and energy costs, and further dependency on foreign countries for energy.  In this economy, we cannot afford to lose any more jobs in Ohio or the United States, we need to get Washington out of the way by tearing down barriers to job creation,” stated Congressman Latta.