April 10, 2026 - The Trump administration proposed sweeping changes Thursday to federal regulations on coal ash, including plans to exempt more than 100 ash dumps from EPA cleanup requirements.

The draft rule would scale back new requirements for groundwater monitoring and oversight of coal ash that were set under the Biden administration. It would also relax rules governing reuse of the waste to make things like cement.

Administration officials said the shift would provide regulatory relief for utilities and coal companies.

“Our proposed changes will increase transparency and promote resource recovery while continuing to protect human health and the environment for all Americans now and into the future,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a news release.