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March 28, 2025
This e-newsletter delivers announcements from EPA's Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery on rulemakings, guidance documents, reports, research, upcoming webinars, and more.
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EPA Announces Priorities for Coal Ash Program
On March 12, 2025, EPA announced that it is prioritizing a number of timely actions on coal ash, including state permit program reviews and updates to the coal ash regulations. EPA will work with state partners to place implementation of the coal ash regulations more fully into the states' hands. EPA is also reviewing the Legacy-Coal Combustion Residuals Management Units Rule to evaluate whether to grant short- and long-term relief such as extending compliance deadlines. Read more in our press release.
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EPA Withdraws Coal Ash Technical Corrections Rule
On March 14, 2025, after receiving adverse comments, EPA withdrew the second of two direct final rules that corrected errors and clarified several provisions in the May 2024 Legacy CCR Surface Impoundments final rule. We will respond to comments as part of any final action we take on the parallel proposed rule. Learn more on our website.
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EPA Grants Extension to Coronado Generating Station
On March 20, 2025, EPA approved the Salt River Project’s request to extend the deadline to stop using the Coronado Generating Station Evaporation Pond due to grid reliability and resource adequacy concerns. To allow time for design, permit, and construction of alternative disposal capacity, the facility’s new deadline is September 30, 2026. Find out more on our website.
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EPA Posts New Version of Excess Food Opportunities Map
On March 13, 2025, EPA updated the Excess Food Opportunities Map, an interactive tool that supports nationwide diversion of excess food from landfills. The Map now identifies and displays facility-specific information on over 960,000 potential generators and almost 15,000 potential recipients of excess food in the industrial, commercial, and institutional sectors and also provides estimates of excess food by generator type. In this update from Version 3.0 to Version 3.1, EPA made the following changes:
- Food Banks, Pantries and Soup Kitchens increased from 989 to 8,460, based on data from Hunger Free America, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- Farmers Markets increased from 997 to 6,996, using data from USDA’s Local Food Directories.
- Anaerobic Digestion Facilities increased from 1,635 to 1,850.
- Composting Facilities increased from 3,877 to 4,669 with the addition of some composting, chipping and mulching entities from EPA’s Disaster Debris Recovery Tool dataset.
- Data layers on Food Access were added directly from USDA’s Food Environment Atlas.
The Map features an improved “Near Me” tool that allows users to identify entities within a selected area or specified radius from a chosen point. For details on how to use the map, check out the User Guide.
You can download all the datasets and use them (please attribute the data to U.S. EPA). For more information about data sources and estimates of excess food generation, refer to the Technical Methodology for Version 3.1.
For answers to other questions, please refer to the map’s frequently asked questions webpage, or contact smmfood@epa.gov.
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EPA to Jointly Host Webinar on Developing an Extended Battery Producer Responsibility Framework
On April 7, 2025, EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are hosting the first virtual meeting to kick off conversations to develop an extended battery producer responsibility framework from 2:00–4:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time. EPA and DOE will share background and context around the framework initiative, and speakers will provide an overview of the extended producer responsibility policy landscape and key principles. Participants will then be able to provide input to inform this process. Register today.
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EPA to Host Webinars on Large Format Battery Labeling and Collection for Recycling
In April and June, EPA is hosting two virtual working sessions to improve labeling and develop best practices for the collection of large batteries for recycling. For purposes of these discussions, large format batteries are rechargeable batteries over 25 pounds or more than 2000 watt-hours and often used in electric, hybrid, and internal combustion engine vehicles; other motive equipment; and stationary energy storage systems.
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April 24, 2025: Current Standards and Practices for Large Format Batteries. Register today.
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June 17, 2025: Expanding End of Life Management for Large Format Batteries–Recycling and Refurbishing Webinar. Register today.
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Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Disposal and Cleanup Program Corner
EPA Renews the Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG) Member Approvals:
On March 6, 2025, EPA renewed the final disposal approvals to USWAG members. The approvals allow the disposal of less than 50 parts per million PCB Remediation Waste under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in certain non-TSCA approved disposal facilities, such as municipal solid waste landfills, non-hazardous waste landfills, and hazardous waste landfills.
EPA Updates the PCB Annual Report Form
On March 24, 2025, EPA updated the annual report form that PCB disposers and commercial storers must submit summarizing the PCB wastes the facility handles. To reduce shipping costs and filing space, EPA separated the form from the instructions, now providing both separately on our website.
EPA Publishes New Fact Sheets for Industry
On March 26, 2025, EPA posted new fact sheets to assist the regulated community in understanding three of the most complex portions of the Alternate Polychlorinated Biphenyls Extraction Methods and Amendments to PCB Cleanup and Disposal Regulations final rule. The fact sheets focus on:
- The test methods available for extraction and determination of PCBs used to characterize and verify the cleanup of PCB waste.
- The cleanup and disposal of PCBs during emergency situations.
- The amendments to the performance-based disposal option for PCB remediation waste.
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