Source: American Coal Ash Association, Aurora, Colo.; National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.
Citing a new administration and the December 2008 spill of 5.4 million cu. yd. of fly ash from a Tennessee Valley Authority impoundment as reasons for recent Environmental Protection Agency actions regarding coal combustion byproducts regulations, ACAA Executive Director Tom Adams assesses such products, including fly ash, flue gas desulfurization materials, bottom ash and boiler slag, in a new white paper. Adams will also deliver an update on any new regulations in an NRMCA webinar scheduled for January 19, 2010, shortly after what he believes will be the publication date of new proposed EPA rules at the end of 2009.

The regulation change that has those in the ACAA concerned is the consideration to reclassify coal combustion byproducts as a hazardous waste under RCRA Subtitle C. Adams stressed that a key issue for the concrete industry, which uses these products as supplementary cementitious material, is “if ash disposal is regulated as hazardous waste, there will be a stigma attached to this material which will cripple or destroy [its] beneficial use.” He encouraged companies and individuals to write letters to EPA and to their representatives. The ACAA counts among its “Marketer Members” Ash Grove Cement, Boral Materials Technologies, Headwaters Resources, Holcim (US) Inc., Lafarge North America, MRT–A Cemex Company, and Salt River Materials.