EPA Delays Coal Ash Cleanup at Northwest Indiana Sites

Toxic heavy metals in coal ash will continue to seep into groundwater and nearby waterways under new EPA rule

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a new rule that will delay the cleanup of coal ash sites nationwide, including two in Northwest Indiana - NIPSCO's Michigan City Generating Station and Schahfer Generating Station in Wheatfield. The rule gives Coal Combustion Residual Management Units an additional three years, until January 2032, to file groundwater reports, which are the first step in the coal ash cleanup process.

Why it matters

Coal ash contains toxic heavy metals like arsenic, boron, lithium, molybdenum and radium that can interfere with child development and cause cancer. The delay means communities will see more of these pollutants seeping into their groundwater and nearby waterways like Lake Michigan and the Kankakee River, with cleanup efforts taking longer in the long run.

The details

The 2015 federal rule on coal ash required sites to issue their first groundwater reports in March 2018. In 2024, the EPA issued a new rule that would have included Coal Combustion Residual Management Units (CCRMUs) and given them until January 2029 to report groundwater testing. However, the latest EPA rule issued on February 6, 2026 has now pushed that deadline back to January 2032, a delay of 3 more years.

  • On February 6, 2026, the EPA issued a new rule delaying the coal ash cleanup requirements.
  • The new rule gives Coal Combustion Residual Management Units until January 2032 to file groundwater reports, a 3-year delay from the previous 2024 rule.

The players

NIPSCO

A utility company that operates the Michigan City Generating Station and Schahfer Generating Station in Northwest Indiana, both of which are affected by the EPA's coal ash cleanup delay.

Hoosier Environmental Council

An environmental advocacy group that has been critical of the EPA's delay in coal ash cleanup requirements.

Just Transition Northwest Indiana

A community organization that has raised concerns about the impact of the coal ash pollution on the Michigan City and Wheatfield communities.

EarthJustice

A non-profit environmental law organization that has filed lawsuits related to the EPA's coal ash regulations.

EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which issued the new rule delaying the coal ash cleanup requirements.

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What they’re saying

“Three more years of waiting means three more years of pollutants, metals, carcinogens, and neurotoxins poisoning our waters. We will not begin to know the full impact of this new rule until 2032, but our communities are already experiencing it.”

— Ashley Williams, Executive Director of Just Transition Northwest Indiana (Email)

“Each day you delay, more toxic contaminants leak into the underlying groundwater. These heavy metals can accumulate in the sediment, and they can accumulate in fish.”

— Lisa Evans, Senior Counsel at EarthJustice (Chicago Tribune)

“From day one, EPA has been touting the benefits of coal burning and characterizing safe disposal of coal ash as an activity that harms or restricts future coal burning. Those two concepts are not logically linked. A power plant can burn coal and dispose of its waste safely and also provide power to the grid.”

— Lisa Evans, Senior Counsel at EarthJustice (Chicago Tribune)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This EPA delay on coal ash cleanup will have serious public health and environmental consequences for communities in Northwest Indiana, as toxic heavy metals continue to seep into groundwater and nearby waterways like Lake Michigan. Environmental advocates warn this will lead to longer-term cleanup challenges and risks to human health.