Coal Ash for American Infrastructure Act

The Coal Ash for American Infrastructure Act would amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to create a regulated path for temporarily storing and then beneficially using coal combustion residuals (CCR, i.e., coal ash). It authors a new category called beneficial use staging units (BUSUs), which are CCR units that may be designated by a State or, in nonparticipating States, by the federal Administrator to hold CCRs for eventual beneficial use rather than immediate disposal. Designation requires compliance with specific siting, lining, and groundwater monitoring standards and a plan for removing and reusing at least 25% of the stored CCRs within defined timeframes. The bill sets rules on how long a designation lasts, when it can be renewed, and prohibits adding new CCRs to a BUSU during designation. It also provides for revocation if the unit fails to meet requirements, and mandates annual reporting on volumes stored and removed, as well as revocations. The act would treat compliant BUSUs as sanitary landfills for certain purposes under the Solid Waste Disposal Act and would preempt conflicting state laws or orders. In short, the bill aims to promote the beneficial reuse of coal ash by creating a regulated, time-limited pathway to stage CCRs for reuse, with strong-design standards, monitoring, and reporting to protect water quality and public health.