"House Committee Limits EPA Ability To Regulate Coal Ash"

"With a handful of Democratic votes, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a bill Wednesday that limits the EPA's ability to regulate coal ash and says coal ash residue deserves little more scrutiny and regulation than municipal trash.

Instead of giving the Environmental Protection Agency the mandate to regulate coal ash, the bill puts the onus on states to set up a program to deal with the issue. EPA would provide oversight. The bill passed by a 35-12 vote, with six Democrats joining the GOP.

As iWatch News has reported, coal ash's metals have poisoned water supplies, damaged ecosystems and jeopardized the health of nearby residents. EPA has faced stiff resistance in trying to regulate the material as hazardous waste, led by coal-supported politicians such as one of the bill's biggest proponents, David McKinley, R-W.Va."

Evan Bush reports for the Center for Public Integrity's iWatch News July 15, 2011.