Comment submitted by M. C. (no surname provided)

Indiana is a significant producer of coal ash due to its reliance on coal for energy. As a result, Indiana has some of the most contaminated water, soil and air in the country. I ask that you stop the proposed changes to the Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) rule. The changes will put my family and other Hoosiers at even greater risk than today. Coal ash contains toxic heavy metals which causes hazardous breathing. Most importantly, when wet, the coal leaches into the ground water. The CCR proposal weakens already lax rules by allowing coal ash to be stored in unlined, uncovered piles for indefinite periods of time. It also allows unlimited use of coal ash to be compacted and used as base material for roads, buildings, and other construction projects. It isn’t safe for residents and construction workers to use ash filled with toxic metals for construction projects. In fact these very practices, including an unlined coal ash pile and coal ash fill, turned the Town of Pines, Indiana into a Superfund site. It took 20 years to clean up the damage. Changes to the Coal Combustion Residuals will hurt many citizens. They must come first! Thank you.