North Dakota Approved to Administer Coal Combustion Residuals Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved North Dakota's Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) permit program, authorizing the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to regulate the disposal of CCR in surface impoundments and landfills in lieu of the EPA. North Dakota has administered a solid waste regulatory oversight program for decades. The approval transfers partial oversight from the federal government and makes North Dakota the fourth state in the nation with an approved CCR program that operates under the same safety and groundwater protection standards as the EPA.

Coal remains a critical part of Basin Electric's generation portfolio. "We continue to experience significant load growth across our service area," said Erin Dukart, director of Environmental Services for Basin Electric. "Our long-term plans to provide reliable, affordable energy to a rapidly growing membership include well-managed coal-fired generation as part of an all-of-the-above energy portfolio."

Basin Electric operates two coal-based facilities in North Dakota: Antelope Valley Station and Leland Olds Station, both of which use lignite coal and have associated disposal facilities already operating under North Dakota solid waste permits. Dukart said state oversight benefits both industry and the environment by ensuring timely, locally informed permitting consistent with the state's long history of responsible waste management.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Rep. Julie Fedorchak, and EPA Region 8 Administrator Cyrus Western announced the approval in Bismarck, emphasizing the importance of cooperative federalism. North Dakota DEQ Director Dave Glatt accepted the approval on behalf of his agency and noted he appreciated the cooperative federalism approach of the current administration.