As an interior and environment appropriations bill makes its way through Congress, activists are worried about its impacts, including on coal ash regulations.
On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee approved the bill for fiscal year 2026 in a 33-28 vote, according to a committee news release. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said in a statement that the bill establishes “American energy dominance” and reverses “harmful Biden-era regulations.”
Indra Frank, coal ash advisor for the Hoosier Environmental Council, said if the bill is passed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cannot use funds to implement or enforce the federal coal ash rule.
Coal ash is a byproduct that is created primarily from burning coal in power plants, according to the EPA.
“(The bill) is not before the full House yet, but if that were able to go through, it would block the EPA from doing any work on coal ash,” Frank said. “Indiana has a lot of trouble with coal ash. It’s contaminated groundwater in multiple locations around the state. We need that cleanup, and if this went through, it would mean less cleanup for Indiana.”
Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and said in a Wednesday statement that he supported an amendment to remove “harmful provisions” that eliminated EPA’s ability to support local and state cleanup efforts at legacy pollution sites.
“All efforts to address coal ash must prioritize the health, safety and quality of life of families across Northwest Indiana for generations to come,” Mrvan said. “I will continue to advocate for environmental protections to keep our communities safe and address the harmful impacts of coal ash.”
With the way the bill is worded, Frank said Superfund sites might also be included.
If the bill is passed through the House and Senate, Frank said it would impact federal coal ash work, but it would not block any states from taking action.
“Some things would still happen based on the state level, but it would certainly start to reduce cleanup efforts,” Frank said. “But we have many sites where cleanup hasn’t even started, and this could prevent even the start of cleanup at some locations.”
As federal coal ash rules are debated, cleanups will continue to be delayed for potentially multiple years, Frank said, which allows for further contamination.
In Northwest Indiana, the Town of Pines — located just outside Michigan City and with about 700 residents — has been contaminated by coal ash from the nearby Yard 520 landfill, which held more than one million tons of coal ash from NIPSCO’s Michigan City Generating Station.
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In a statement Wednesday, NIPSCO Communications Manager Jessica Cantarelli said NIPSCO is working under direction of the EPA for cleanup and cannot speculate about the potential impact of the House bill.
“NIPSCO is committed to following the direction of the U.S. EPA to ensure the Town of Pines remediation work is conducted properly so that human health and the environment are protected,” Cantarelli said.
Cantarelli also said that the EPA conducted a public meeting July 2 at the Michigan City Public Library, where they shared new background, answered questions and discussed next steps for soil sampling and remediation work. Public comment is available until Aug. 1.
Mrvan addressed the Town of Pines in his Wednesday statement.
“With regard to the Town of Pines, it is my understanding the agreement with all interested stakeholders continues to be upheld,” he said. “Therefore, I would not expect any diminution in the coordination of all of the parties to address public health and safety concerns.”
Town of Pines resident Paul Kysel said he’s concerned about the bill and how it might impact coal ash regulations nationwide. Kysel is also a member of the People in Need of Environmental Safety community group, which is working to advocate for coal ash cleanup in the town.
“It might impact others that haven’t yet been identified as potentially problematic because of coal ash, but I think our site is pretty much inked,” Kysel said. “We remain unhappy, but I think that’s in place is going to play out for the Pines site.”
Even if changes to coal ash regulation might not affect the Town of Pines directly, Kysel said changes still feel like a stab in the back, but he’s not surprised by the action.
“There’s a clear inherent risk and peril involved with improper disposal of coal ash,” he added. “It’s threatening human life, safety, health and the environment.”