EPA Will Allow SRP to Continue to Recklessly Dump Toxic Waste

The EPA has approved an application from Salt River Project (SRP) to keep operating its unlined coal ash pond at the Coronado Generating Station in Apache County, Arizona. Coal ash is the waste left over from burning coal, and it contains mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic. When stored in ponds without a protective liner, it can leak into groundwater, rivers, and streams, making water unsafe to drink and posing health risks to nearby communities. The Coronado pond has reportedly violated federal safety standards, and the plant has dumped more than 16 million cubic yards of coal ash over the years.

This reverses course from January 2025, when the EPA had rejected SRP's request and ordered the pond closed. Under the current administration, the agency changed direction earlier this year and has now formally approved SRP's plan, letting the utility keep using the pond while it works on further paperwork for the EPA. Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Earthjustice, had asked the EPA to reverse this approval and stick with its original 2025 denial.

For homeowners, this news is not about a rebate or upgrade you can act on. It matters mainly if you live near the Coronado plant in Apache County or rely on water sources downstream, since the decision means the toxic waste pond will keep operating rather than being closed and cleaned up. It is a reminder that coal ash regulation, and its enforcement, can shift with changes in federal policy.