EPA backs Indiana takeover of coal-ash permitting; 60-day comment period opens Sept. 16, 2026

At an Indianapolis news conference on Sept. 15, 2026, U.S. EPA Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi announced the agency’s proposed approval of Indiana’s CCR permit program. The state submitted its CCR application in June; IDEM staff drafted regulations between 2021 and 2024, and the Indiana Environmental Rules Board gave final approval in late 2025. The EPA said the program, if finalized, would be the largest in the country.

The proposed state program includes requirements for design, operation, groundwater monitoring, closure, recordkeeping and financial assurance. IDEM estimates roughly 100 CCR units across Indiana would require permits. The proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register on Sept. 16, 2026, starting a 60-day public comment period; IDEM’s slides say the agency anticipates federal approval "as soon as February or March." IDEM estimates $1.3 million in personnel costs and says the program will be mostly funded by permit fees.

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