## December 20 14 

# Response to Comments EPA’s 2010 Proposed CCR Rule Volume 16 : Public Comments on EPA’s Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) for the 2010 Proposed CCR Rule Final

Prepared by : Economics and Risk Analysis Staff Program Management, Communications, and Analysis Office Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

## ii



# Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction and Prefatory Notes ................................ ................................ ........................... 1 2.0 General Comments ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 3 3.0 Comm ents Related to Regulatory Costs ................................ ................................ ................. 15 3.1 Historical/Baseline Costs ................................ ................................ ............................... 24 3.2 Incorrect Cost Assumptions ................................ ................................ ........................... 25 3.3 Landfill and Surface Impou ndment Liner Costs ................................ ............................ 28 3.4 Groundwater Monitoring Costs ................................ ................................ ..................... 28 3.5 Fugitive Dust Control Costs ................................ ................................ ........................... 29 3.6 Wet

- to - Dry Handling Conversion Costs ................................ ................................ ........ 29 3.7 Costs to Specific Groups ................................ ................................ ................................ 29 3.8 Corrective Action (Groundwater Cleanup) Costs ................................ .......................... 30 3.9 Impoundment Failure/Spill Cleanup Costs ................................ ................................ .... 31 3.10 Storage Costs ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 31 3.11 Other Cost

- Related Comments ................................ ................................ .................... 31 4.0 Comments Related to Environmental, Human Health, and Economic Benefits ................. 33 4.1 Monetization Issues ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 35 4.2 Avoided Cancer Benefits ................................ ................................ ............................ 36 4.3 Avoided Structural Failure/Spill Benefits ................................ ................................ ... 36 4.4 Avoided Groundwater Remediation Benefits ................................ ............................. 39 4.5 Other Benefit

- Related Comments ................................ ................................ ............... 39 5.0 Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Uses ................................ .............................. 40 5.1 Accuracy of Life Cycle Benefits ................................ ................................ ................. 48 5.2 Industry

- Specific Economic Data for the RIA ................................ ............................ 50 5.3 Future Beneficial Use Impact Scenarios ................................ ................................ ..... 50 6.0 Comments Relating to Net Benefits ................................ ................................ .................... 52 6.1 Cost/Benefits Scaling under Subtitle D Option ................................ .......................... 53 6.2 Comparison of Benefits to Costs ................................ ................................ ................ 53 7.0 Comments Related to Supplemental Analyses ................................ ................................ .... 55 7.1 Energy Impact Analysis: EO 13211 ................................ ................................ ........... 57 7.2 Small Business Impact Analysis: RFA/SBREFA ................................ ....................... 57 7.3 Environmental Justice Analysis: EO 12898 ................................ ............................... 58 7.4 Children’s Health Analysis: EO 13045 ................................ ................................ ....... 59 7.5 Paperwork Reduction Act and Comments on ICR ................................ ..................... 60 7.6 Unfunded Mandates Analysis/UMRA ................................ ................................ ........ 60 7.7 Federalism Analysis: EO 13132 ................................ ................................ ................. 60 7.8 Consultation/Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments: EO 13175 ................... 61 7.9 Other Comments on Supplemental Analyses ................................ ............................. 62 8.0 References ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 63

## 1 

# 1.0 Introduction and Prefatory Notes In 2010 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed a regulatory impact analysis (RIA) 1 

## which estimated the potential future costs and benefits of EPA’s June 21, 2010 proposed rule 2 

## to establish environmental and human health protection regulations for coal combustion residual (CCR) landfills and surface impoundments used by coal

- fired electric utility plants. This document addresses public comments Public comments on EPA’s 2010 RIA, which consist of two comment sets:  Docket comments : 431 organizations submitted 1,067 RIA

- related comments during the 5

- month (June 21 to November 19, 2010) public comment period 3 

## for the 2010 proposed CCR rule.  Hearings comments : 170 organizations submitt ed 288 RIA

- related comments at EPA’s eight public hearings 4 

## on the 2010 proposed CCR rule held sequentially between August and October 2010 in VA, CO, TX, NC, IL, PA, KY, and TN. Both the docket and hearings comment sets are co

- mingled in the summaries and responses provided in this document. For the purpose of this document an “ organization ” is defined as a commenting organization and its spokesperson (or an individual citizen without organization affiliation provided). For example, if two separate spokesp eople affiliated with the same organization, submitted two comments, it is counted as two organizations for purpose of this document. If one organization commented individually and also commented jointly with other organizations, the two comments are count ed as separate organizations. For each comment category, this document provides a table that summarizes the docket ID, commenter name and organizational affiliation (if any). Following each table, this document presents a summary of the major comments, fol lowed by EPA responses to the major comment themes for each subsection. Lastly, EPA’s 2010 RIA evaluated both of the two co

- proposed regulatory options of the June 2010 proposed rule: RCRA Subtitle C “ special waste ” (hazardous waste) option, and RCRA Subti tle D “ solid waste ” (non

- hazardous waste) option, as well as a “ D - prime ” regulatory approach. Since EPA’s 2015 CCR final rule is based on RCRA Subtitle D authority, this document addresses only those public comments submitted on the 2010 RIA’s evaluation o f (a) the Subtitle D option and “ D - prime ” approach,

1 “Regulatory Impact Analysis for EPA’s Proposed RCRA Regulation of Coal Combustion Residues (CCR) Generated by the Electric Utility Industry,” prepared by the EPA Office of Conservation and Recovery, 30 April 2010, 242 pages, available as document ID nr. EPA

- HQ

- RCRA

- 2009

- 0640

- 0003 at http://www.regulations.gov (a separate Appendix document to the RIA is available as document ID nr. EPA

- HQ

- RCRA

- 2009

- 0640

- 0003.1). 2 “Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Identification and Listing of Special Wastes; Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Proposed Rule,” Federal Register, Vol. 75, No. 118, June 21, 2010, pages 35128 to 35264. 3 On page 35128 of EPA’s Federal Register notice (Vol. 75, No. 118, June 21, 2010) for the 2010 CCR proposed rule, EPA initially provided a 3

- month public comment period spanning June 21 to September 20, 2010. In addition to publishing on August 20, 2010 in the Fed eral Register (Vol. 75, No. 161, pages 51434 to 51436) several administrative corrections to the proposed rule, EPA also in that same notice extended the public comment period by 60

- days to November 19, 2010. The docket ID number for written public comment s on the 2010 CCR proposed rule is EPA

- HQ

- RCRA

- 2009

- 0640 at http://www.regulations.gov 4 Transcripts from EPA’s eight public hearings on the 2010 CCR proposed rule are available at the following EPA website: http://www.epa.gov/waste/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/ccr

- rule/ccr

- hearing.htm

## 2

and (b) the Subtitle C “ special waste ” option only if the comment was also applicable by logical extension to the RIA’s evaluation of the Subtitle D option or “ D - prime ” approach.

## 3 

# 2 .0 General Comments The public stakeholders submitted comments about economic issues generally . Table 2 A – General Comments (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09828 Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor A. David Stippler State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09850 Montana - Dakota Utilities Company (Montana - Dakota) Abbie Krebsbach Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06836 Stone Restoration of America Adam Babbidge Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05905 Bull Concrete Adam Pinto Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09423 Masonry Wall Systems Alan C. Ferguson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05805 Mathis - Akins Concrete Block Co., Inc. Alice S. Kuncaitis Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07001 Vectren Corporation Angila M. Reinerford Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08089 Private Citizen Annely Noble Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08784 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06859 Private Citizen Antoinette Stein, Ph.D. Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08836 Underground Services Co. d/b/a USC Technologies Barb DeBusk on behalf of Ritchie Benninghoven Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08847 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06422 Dynegy Inc Ben C. Trammell Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09236 National Tribal Air Association (NTAA) Bill Thompson Tribal Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09237 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10520 Palmetto Agribusiness Council (PABC) Bob Battle Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06871 Restore Painting & Waterproofing, Inc. Brenda Camacho on behalf of Norge Araniz Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05906 Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI) Brent Ross Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09995 P rivate Citizen Bruce Boggs Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09333 Gibbco, Inc. Bruce N. Kazich Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09334 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10520 Florida Electronic Power Coordinating Group, Inc. (FCG) Carl Eldred Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08857 Department of Electric, City of Hamilton, Ohio Charles Young Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08861 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03053 Private Citizen Chris Barnes Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09716 Specialized Transport LLC Christopher D. Benna Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09718 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09656 CK Transport Chuck Kitchens Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05935 The Concrete Works Sweeney Mining Co., LLC Cleta Sweeney Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07859 Private Citizen Clint Wald Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10299 LA Ash, Inc. Danielle King Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06863 Avista Corp. Darrell Soyars Electric Utility

## 4 Table 2 A – General Comments (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06816 Moapa Band of Paiutes Darren Daboda Tribal Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03738 Private Citizen David E. Lawrence Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06547 North American Concrete Alliance (NACA) David Hubbard on behalf of North American Concrete Alliance (NACA) Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09350 Texas Industries, Inc. (TXI) Operations David Perkins, Texas Industries, Inc. (TXI) Operations Beneficial User E PA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06296 Alabama Coal Association (ACA) David Roberson Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06296 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06296 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10535 New York Construction Materials Association (NY Materials) David S. Hamling Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10538 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10553 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06876 Tennessee Riverkeeper, Inc. David Whiteside Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08270 Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (Cliffs) David Z. Skolasinski Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08418 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10509 Bode Concrete LLC Dennis Broderick Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10569 Coastwide Ready - Mix Dennis Johnson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08225 MeadWestvaco Dirk J. Krouskop Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10189 Specialty Materials, Inc. Dot McClurg Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10192 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10564 Wilsonville Concrete Products Commercial Redi Mix (WCP) Doug Gilmer Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08857 Michigan Chamber of Commerce Doug Roberts Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06993 Oglethorpe Power Corporation Douglas J. Fulle Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06554 University of Pittsburgh Department of Public Health Dr. Conrad Daniel Volz Academia EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08072 Silica Fume Drew DeCarlo Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08258 Heartland Consumers Power District Eli D. Eilbott Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08270 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07798 Citizens Against Ruining the Environment Ellen Rendulich and Sandy Burcenski Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10518 Earthjustice, et. al. Emily Greenlee, on behalf of Lisa Evans Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07047 Great River Energy Erik Silvola Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06388 Louisiana Public Service Commission Eve Kahao Gonzalez State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09514 Otter Tail Power Company Farren Richard Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06538 South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) Florence P. Belser State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06546 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06988 Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission Floyd Gilzow State Government

## 5 Table 2 A – General Comments (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06728 West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) Gary Casto on behalf of Randy C. Huffman State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08216 Dixie Electric Cooperative Gary Harrison Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08219 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04047 Conco Companies - Ready Mix Division/ACME Gaylene Anderson on behalf of John Holiman Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06291 Labadie Environmental Organization Ginger Gambaro Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10205 Croell Redi - Mix, Inc. Harlan Taylor Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08856 Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Henry Eby Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06823 Native Community Action Council (NCAC) Ian Zabarte Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06327 Tennessee Valley Public Power Association, Inc. (TVPPA) Jack W. Simmons Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06351 Mettiki Coal, LLC James C. Ashby Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08258 Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection James C. Colman State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06396 National Rural Electronic Cooperative Association (NRECA) James F. Stine Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09226 Private Citizen James J. Rohrbach, P.E. Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06122 Port Aggregates, Inc. James P. Guinn Sr. Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05901 Southern Crushed Concrete LLC James R. Miller Jr. Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09750 American Coal Council (ACC) Janet Gellici Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09807 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09814 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08251 Institute for Policy Integrity Jason A. Schwartz Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06360 ARIPPA Jeff A. McNelly Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06275 Lansing Board of Water and Light (BWL) and Michigan State University (MSU) Jeffrey L. Woolstrum Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07680 Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP on behalf of Lansing Board of Water and Light (LBWL) and Michigan State University (MSU) EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09750 Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC) Jeremy S. Ousley Beneficial User EPA

- HQ

- RCRA

- 2009

- 0640

- 10564 Construction Aggregates of West Virginia, L.L.C. Jerri V. Kiral Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03935 Miles Sand and Gravel Company Jerry Trudeau Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10133 Private Citizen Jim Cox Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06526 Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG) Jim Roewer, Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG) ([9.1.1] [9.4.2] [9.4.3]) Trade Association E PA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 00905 The SEFA Group Jimmy Knowless Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06829 Improving Kids' Environment Jodi Perras Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08229 Alabama Public Service Commission John D. Free State Government

## 6 Table 2 A – General Comments (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08230 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02399 Cranesville Block Company, Inc. John Tesiero Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06723 Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC) Jonathan Oliver Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03722 Howard Concrete Pumping Company, Inc. Joseph E. Bonetti Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06987 Entergy Services, Inc. Joseph Hantz Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06226 Pennsylvania Coal Association (PCA) Josie Gaskey Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04142 Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Karen F. Ellis on behalf of Charles Gregory Higdon Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09362 West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA) Karen S. Price Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06849 Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) Keith Harley Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06992 National Association of Manufacturers Keith W. McCoy Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02878 Bismarck - Mandan Chamber of Commerce Kelvin L. Hullet Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06128 Owensboro Municipal Utilities Kevin D. Frizzell Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09694 Structural Rehabilitation Group, LLC Kirby L. McCleary Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03707 Green Century Capital Management Kristina Curtis Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06556 Private Citizen Kristina Keeling Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06840 Nebraska Ash Company L. E. "Tex" Leber Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09235 L. E. Leber EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06548 Navajo Tribal member L. Goodman Tribal Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08850 Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08853 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04022 Private Citizen Larry D. Conley Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10324 Enduracon Technologies Larry Nelson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06857 CertainTeed Gypsum, Inc. Lauren P. Alterman Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05794 South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) Lewis F. Gossett Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06313 Earthjustice et. al. Lisa Evans Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09886 PMI Ash Technologies, LLC (PMI) Lisa I. Cooper Beneficial User E PA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09935 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06833 Dominion Resources Services, Inc. Lisa J. Keck on behalf of Pamela Faggert Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04036 Offshore Express, Inc. Marcia Mann on behalf of Scott Kisilywicz Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10262 Standard Cements Materials, Inc. Mario A. Tamez Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09870 McDonald Farms Enterprises Marjorie McDonald Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09707 Private Citizen Mark Morgan Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03736 Bayview Redi - Mix, Inc. Marvin Prince Beneficial User

## 7 Table 2 A – General Comments (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07806 Mass Comment Campaign sponsoring by Earthjustice (165 signatures) Part 1 of 2 Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06807 Private Citizen Mass Comment Campaign sponsoring organization unknown (47) Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06416 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR) and Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (WI PSC) Matthew Frank (WI DNR) and Eric Callisto (WI PSC) State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08227 Minnesota Power (ALLETE) Michael G. Cashin Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08229 Gypsum Association Michael Gardner Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07002 Alabama Environmental Council Michael J. Churchman Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06259 Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) Michael Ralston Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09276 Ohio Coal Association Michael T.W. Carey Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08246 Wisconsin Ready - Mix Concrete Association (WRMCA) Mitch Mariotti Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10520 Materials Handling and Transportation Name illegible Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10529 LeGrand Johnson Construction Co. name illegible Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10573 C&C Ready Mix Corporation Nicholas Cerretani Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09639 National Council of Coal Lessors (NCCL) Nick Carter Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02196 Private Citizen Nick Mankle Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09351 Manitowoc Public Utilities (MPU) Nilaksh Kothari Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09815 FLSmidth, Inc. Ove L. Jepsen Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04007 Western Governors' Association Pam Inmann on behalf of Brian Schweitzer State Elected Official EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08246 Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP on behalf of Kansas City Board of Public Utilities Parthenia B. Evans and Dennis Lane Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08248 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03708 Indiana Manufacturers Association, Inc. (IMA) Patrick Bennett Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06722 Private Citizen Paul Benedict Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02828 Colonial Construction Inc Paul Bigness Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06254 Sunflower Electric Power Corporation Paul E. Reynolds Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06912 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06298 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Paul L. Sloan State Government E PA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09431 American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) Paul Noe Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09723 Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association (TACA) R. Szecsy Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06842 Michigan Manufacturers Association Randall Gross Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05676 Folsom Ready Mix, Inc. Randy Barnes Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10569 Private Citizen Raymond von Drehle Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06845 Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry Rebecca Hudson on behalf of Glenn Hamer Trade Association

## 8 Table 2 A – General Comments (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06384 Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Rebecca L. Hussey State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06807 Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) Reed Hitchcock Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06809 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08850 Center for Progressive Reform, University of Maryland School of Law Rena Steinzor Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06589 Private Citizen Renee Reber Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07755 Rob Carryl Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09236 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Robert A. Garbini Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09276 National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) Robert D. Thomas Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09333 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09432 Alstom Power, Inc. Robert G. Hilton Other Company E PA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06817 Portland Cement Association Robert Hirsch Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05899 B&G Materials Robert L. Beck Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08863 Inter - Tribal Council of Michigan Inc. Robin Clark Tribal Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06816 Phoenix Cement Company (PCC), Salt River and Rock, Salt River Materials Group Roger R. Smith Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02823 Partners Bulk Logistics (PBL) Ron Heller Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 064 0 - 08216 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Ronald Moore Union EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10573 Great Lakes Concrete Products, LLC Rosanne DiPizio Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08784 Alabama Pulp & Paper Council Roy McAuley Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08787 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06196 Comite Dialogo Ambiental Ruth Santiago Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09886 Western Rock Products Scott Sidlow Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06832 SCANA Corporation Shirley M. Ruffin Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10498 Bert & Wetta Abilene, Inc. Stan Foltz Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08836 Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) Stephen A. Cobb (Al) State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10573 Arizona Rock Products Association (ARPA) Steve Trussell Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07487 American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) T. Peter Ruane Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08223 Pozzi - Tech, Inc. Terry E. Watson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08213 Central Alabama Electric Cooperative Terry Miller Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10496 Abode Check, LLC Thomas E. Murley Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04038 KMR Concrete, Inc. Tim Fletcher Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09707 Kerkstra Precast Tim Skiba Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06404 Organic and Mineral Systems Inc. Timothy J. Nicholson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06380 SSE, Inc. Timothy R. Unger Beneficial User

## 9 Table 2 A – General Comments (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03313 Mathis - Akins Concrete Block Co. Inc Tina Sheffield Kuncaitis Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06034 Morandin Concrete Tippy Cosuello Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06872 State of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Todd M. Wallace State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06793 Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Todd Sanders Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05689 Gresham Transfer, Inc. Tom Welch Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06011 Public Service Commission (PSC) - State of North Dakota Tony Clark State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06959 Prairie Rivers Network, Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club, American Bot tom Conservancy Traci L. Barkley Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06847 Commerce Lexington Inc. Tyler Campbell Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07742 Phoenix Cement Company Verle C. Martz Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09750 Sierra Club - Las Vegas Field Office Vinny Spotleson Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09891 Otter Tail Power Company W. Uggerud Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10207 Lexington Concrete and Block Watt Ervin Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10133 Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC) Wes Britson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07788 BVU Anthony Wes Rosenbalm Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09815 Indiana Economic Development Association (IEDA) William A. Dory Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 01118 Novinda Corporation William D. Byers on behalf of Michael P. Maloney Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10517 Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) William H. Smagula Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10558 Glasgow EPB William J. Ray Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08240 Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy (SBA) Winslow Sargeant Federal Agency 

## Table 2B – General Comments (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10662_DC - 101 Earthjustice Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11198_CHI - 029 Little Village Environmental Justice Organization Abigail Singer Advocacy Group TRANS - CHI - 0050 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10681_DC - 069 American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) Amy E. Schaffer Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10734_DEN - 046 Colorado Interfaith Power and Light Betty Goebel Community Group TRANS - DEN - 0015 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11339_P - 052 Alpha Natural Resources Bill Schloemer Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11165_CHA - 118 Boral Composites, Inc. (BCI) Brian M. Below Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11553_L - 001 NuForm Materials Brock Marrs Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11612_K - 026 Trans Ash, Inc. Bruce Kazich Beneficial User TRANS - KNX - 0060

## 10 Table 2B – General Comments (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11574_L - 022 Gibbco, Inc. TRANS - LVL - 0007 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11477_L - 054 Duke Energy Indiana Bryan Walsh Electric Utility TRANS - CLT - 0108 Richland County Council Calvin Washington Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11651_K - 066 Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Chad A. Harpole Trade Association TRANS - CLT - 0016 Working People For Fair Energy Charles Steele, Jr. Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10727_DEN - 039 Tri - State Generation and Transmission Association Inc. (Tri State) Chris Gilbreath Electric Utility TRANS - DEN - 0006 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10774_DA - 005 Precast Concrete Manufacturers Association of Texas Chris Lechner Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11276_CHI - 048 Protestants for the Common Good (PCG) Courtney Eccles Community Group TRANS - CHI - 0092 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11485_L - 066 American Electric Power Dana Sheets Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11659_K - 074 Headwaters Resources (spoke as employee) David Lawrence Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10735_DEN - 047 Flashfill Services LLC Doug Hernandez Beneficial User TRANS - DEN - 0023 TRANS - CLT - 0047 Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light Douglas Hunt Community Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11424_P - 155 Electric Power Generation Association Douglas L. Biden Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10612_DC - 026 Earthjustice Emily Greenlee Advocacy Group TRANS - ARL - 0107 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11705_K - 126 Dixie Electric Cooperative Gary Harrison Electric Utility TRANS - KNX - 0125 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10788_DA - 019 Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (Western Farmers) Gerald Butcher Electric Utility TRANS - DAL - 0060 TRANS - PIT - 0030 Boral Composites Inc. (BCI) Gregory J. Glander Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11318_P - 028 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11203_CHI - 071 Illinois Energy Association James Monk Trade Association TRANS - CHI - 0133 TRANS - ARL - 0003 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association James Stine Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11054_CHA - 089 American Coal Council (ACC) Janet Gellici Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11199_CHI - 030 Beneficial Reuse Management Jeffrey H. Ulrey Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11196_CHI - 027 Ecologic Tech Jerry Liu Beneficial User TRANS - DAL - 0075 Jimmy Lambert Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11695_K - 116 Headwaters Resources, Inc. (spoke as employee) John Van Ham Private Citizen TRANS - ARL - 0015 Citizens Coal Council John Wathen Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10741_DEN - 053 Great River Energy (GRE) John Weeda Electric Utility TRANS - ARL - 0125 Jonathan Barker Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10699_DEN - 011 Navajo FlexCrete Building Systems, Inc. Jonathan S. Robertson Beneficial User

## 11 Table 2B – General Comments (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type TRANS - DEN - 0030 Colorado Interfaith Power and Light Joy Jamison Community Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10806_DA - 036 Luminant Julie Prejean Electric Utility TRANS - LVL - 0017 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Katie Holmes Community Group TRANS - CHI - 0147 Little Village Environmental Justice Organization Kimberly Wasserman Nieto Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10647_DC - 087A Sierra Club Lena Moffett Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11233_CHI - 104 Southern Illinois Power Cooperative Leonard Hopkins Electric Utility TRANS - ARL - 0141 Sierra Club Leslie Fields Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10636_DC - 076 Sierra Club Leslie G. Fields Advocacy Group TRANS - DAL - 0094 Lev Guter Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10771_DA - 002 Dynegy Inc. Linda Whelan Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11687_K - 109 Maria Rosales Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11506_L - 087 American Coal Ash Association Mark Bryant Trade Association TRANS - ARL - 0080 Matt Durning and N' Jeri Eaton Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10674_DC - 061 TRANS - ARL - 0006 Michael Jackson Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10603_DC - 017 Synthetic Materials LLC Michael W. Beck Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11430_P - 023 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Michael Welsh Union TRANS - PIT - 0034 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11286_CHI - 064 Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. Michalene Reilly Electric Utility TRANS - DEN - 0101 San Juan Citizens Alliance Mike Eisenfel Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11281_CHI - 055 LifeTime Composites, LLC Mike Thorpe Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10651_DC - 090 Center for Environment, Commerce & Energy (Center) Norris McDonald Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10653_DC - 092 Vermont Law School Patrick Parenteau Academia TRANS - DEN - 0025 Sunflower Electric Power Corporation Paul Reynolds Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11178_CHI - 009 Chicago Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsi bility Peter Orris Advocacy Group TRANS - DEN - 0086 Eco - Justice Ministries Peter Sawtell Community Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11521_L - 139 Kentucky Ready - Mixed Concrete Association (KRMCA) R. Finley Messick Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10601_DC - 015 Rebecca Kolberg Private Citizen TRANS - ARL - 0037 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10711_DEN - 023 Eco - Justice Ministries Rev. Peter S. Sawtell Community Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11194_CHI - 025 Great River Energy (GRE) Richard Lancaster Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10790_DA - 021 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Robert Garbini Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11481_L - 058 Sphere One, Inc. Ryan Brownhill Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10610_DC - 024 New Age Fastening Systems Stephen Swartz Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11611_K - 025 Full Circle Solutions, Inc. Steve Critchfield Beneficial User TRANS - KNX - 0062

## 12 Table 2B – General Comments (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11437_P - 178 American Electric Power (AEP) Steven Orenchuk Electric Utility TRANS - CLT - 0138 South Carolina Chapter of Sierra Club Susan Corbett Advocacy Group TRANS - LVL - 0016 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Terry Jones Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11667_K - 082 Central Alabama Electric Cooperative Terry Mitchell Electric Utility TRANS - DEN - 0016 Nebraska Ash Company Tex Leber Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11201_CHI - 069 Boral Composites Inc Thomas D. Zimmerman Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11564_L - 012 American Coal Ash Association Thomas H. Adams Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11669_K - 088 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11512_L - 093 University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research Thomas Robl Academia EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11336_P - 049 Congress of the United States, House of Representatives Tim Holden, et al. [121 signatures] Federal Elected Official EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11335_P - 048 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11373_P - 092 Congress of the United States, House of Representatives Tim Murphy Federal Elected Official EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11600_K - 014 Full Circle Solutions, Inc. Tyler Farrar Beneficial User TRANS - ARL - 0073 Maryland Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities Vernice Miller Travis Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10670_DC - 055 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10707_DEN - 019 Colorado Interfaith Power & Light Vicente Roldan Community Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10820_DA - 050 Association of Electric Companies of Texas (AECT) Walt Baum Trade Association TRANS - KNX - 0171 William Smith Private Citizen 

# Comment Summary EPA received numerous, general comments on the 2010 RIA. These included broad comments regarding electricity prices, jobs, competitiveness, and the economy in general, or tended to express general support or disapproval for the RIA methodology, data, or re sults. One commenter finds that a 14

- year period of analysis is inappropriate, and suggests that a 30

- year period be used to align with utility planning horizons. The same commenter finds that EPA’s use of 2005 data biases the results because that year ha d unusually high CCR beneficial use. Another commenter accuses EPA of failing to follow OMB Circular A

- 4 for conducting Federal regulatory analyses. First, the commenter finds issue with EPA’s description of the regulatory problem in the RIA because the di scussion (1) doesn’t provide a statutory requirement that EPA act, (2) misidentifies externalities as the compelling public need for the regulation, and (3) fails to show that Federal government action (as opposed to state government action) is required. S econd, the commenter finds Circular A

- 4 to be violated by EPA’s failure to consider sufficient regulatory alternatives for the 2010 proposed CCR

## 13

rule. Finally, the commenter feels that EPA should have accounted for state government regulatory programs more thoroughly. In addition, EPA received numerous economic comments discussing the following non

technical or non

- RIA

- related categories: beneficial reuse, regulatory comments including EPA’s RCRA Subtitle C versus Subtitle D regulatory authorities, legal co mments, monitoring requirements, cost considerations and population risk, direct discharge of CCR impoundments and associated permitting, CCR impoundment structural integrity, environmental remediation, sand and gravel pits, coal mining, and the receipt of site

specific data. 

# EPA Response EPA appreciates the overwhelming interest of the public regarding the 2010 RIA. In response to general comments about electricity prices/reliability and jobs, EPA has included these analyses in Appendix X of EPA’s December 2014 RIA 5 

## for the CCR final rule. Appendix X is a report about the design and results of EPA using the Integrated Planning Model (IPM) to estimate future electricity market effects of the CCR final rule. However, without more specific comment directed at the contents of the 2010 RIA (i.e., the data, methods, calculations, and results of the RIA), EPA could not alter the 2014 RIA for the final rule in response to these more general comments. With regard to the period of analysis, the 2010 RIA applied a 50

- year period of analysis (2012

- 2061) to both cost estimates and benefit estimates, not 14 years. However, because the expected benefit of reduction in groundwater contamination may extend out well beyond 50 years and because some CCR management units are be lieved to operate for over 80 year lifespans (e.g., vertical expansion CCR landfills), EPA extended the period of analysis to 100 years for the CCR final rule 2014 RIA. With regard to comments on input data for the 2010 RIA, the most recent year that CCR t onnage data were available from the Energy Information Agency (EIA) for electric utility plants at the year of the proposed rule was for year 2005. However, while formulating the 2014 RIA, EIA released 2012 CCR tonnage data which EPA incorporated to repla ce the older 2005 data. With respect to comments about not following OMB Circular A

- 4 for the formulation of 2010 RIA Chapter 1 “Problem Statement: The Need for RCRA Regulation of CCR Disposal ,” the 2010 RIA contained a summary of the legal and economic ra tionales for this Federal rulemaking. Furthermore, EPA presented a full discussion of these factors, among others, in the “ I. Background ” section (pages 35132 to 35142) of the June 21, 2010 Federal Register CCR proposed rule notice. That Federal Register section explains why EPA is revisiting its 2000 regulatory determination for CCR, and why EPA co

- proposed two regulatory options (i.e., Subtitle C and Subtitle D options). In addition, the Federal Register section titled “ II. New Information on the Place ment of CCRs in Landfills and Surface Impoundments " provides information on new developments since EPA’s 2000 CCR regulatory determination, including additional CCR disposal damage cases, CCR disposal environmental leakage/release risk modeling, updated in formation on current CCR management practices, and updated information on current state government 5 EPA’s December 2014 RIA is available to the public for viewing/downloading in docket no. EPA

- HQ

- RCRA

- 2009

- 0640 at http://www.regulations.gov

## 14

regulations associated with CCR disposal, and petitions from environmental and citizens groups for EPA to develop rules for CCR management. EPA’s 2014 RIA in corporates more of this comprehensive information from both Section I and Section II of the June 2010 Federal Register notice, into its Chapter 1. Furthermore, in the 2014 RIA, EPA revised Chapter 1 to focus on the public need for the CCR rule in accordanc e with Section B of OMB Circular A

- 4. Finally, to the extent that any commenter mentioned substantive issues regarding a specific aspect of the RIA, these comments are further addressed in subsequent sections of this document. To the extent that the commen ts are general and not germane to the RIA, no EPA responses are provided in this document.

## 15 

# 3 .0 Comment

s Related to Regulatory Costs The public submitted comments related to regulatory cost estimates in the 2010 RIA, which are grouped into 11 cost subcate gories in this section: 1. Historical/ B aseline C osts 2. Incorrect C ost A ssumptions 3. Liner C osts 4. GW M onitoring C osts 5. Fugitive D ust C ontrol C osts 6. Wet - to - Dry C onversion C osts 7. Costs to S pecific G roups 8. Corrective A ction C osts 9. Response/Cleanup C osts 10. Storage C osts 11. Other Cost

- Related Comments

Table 3A – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10506 Texas Department of Transportation A. Saenz, Jr. State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06852 Green Delaware Alan Muller Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05805 Mathis - Akins Concrete Block Co., Inc. Alice S. Kuncaitis Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07001 Vectren Corporation Angila M. Reinerford Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06410 Anonymous Anonymous EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06251 We Energies Art Covi Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06418 Virginia Independent Power Producers, Inc. (VIPP) August Wallmeyer Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09796 City of Morristown, Tennessee Barbara C. Barile Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08244 Edison Mission Energy, LLC Basil G. Constantelos Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06422 Dynegy Inc Ben C. Trammell Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09337 Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Benjamin H. Grumbles State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07486 System Council U - 19 IBEW Bill Frederick Union EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06868 Cleco Corporation Bill Matthews Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07803 GDF SUEZ Energy Generation North America Bradley J. Cooley Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08228 Detroit Regional Chamber Brian A. Kandler Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09333 Gibbco, Inc. Bruce N. Kazich Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10497 Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Seminole) Carl Eldred Electric Utility

## 16 Table 3A – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10498 Florida Electronic Power Coordinating Group, Inc. (FCG) EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08260 Citizens Against Ruining the Environment (C.A.R.E.) Carol Stark et al. Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09885 Progress Energy, Inc. Caroline Choi Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06299 MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company (MidAmerican) Cathy S. Woollums Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06865 Constellation Energy Charlene Zaruba on behalf of Paul Allen Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08234 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Charles G. Johnson on behalf of Joe Schieffelin State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08235 Usibelli Coal Mine Incorporated (UCM) Charles P. Boddy Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08217 Washington County, Alabama; Washington County Commission Charles Singleton Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08857 Department of Electric, City of Hamilton, Ohio Charles Young Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06300 Southern Company behalf of itself and its four subsidiaries: Alabama Power Company, Georgia Power Company, Gulf Power Company, and Mississippi Power Company Chris M. Hobson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09712 Basin Electric Power Cooperative (BEPC) Claire M. Olson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07859 Private Citizen Clint Wald Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07786 Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Nevada Division of Environmerital Protection (NDEP) Collen Cripps State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09322 Ash Development Association of Australia (ADAA) Craig Heidrich Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06915 Alcoa Inc. Curt Wells Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06529 NiSource Corporate Services Dale A. Helmers Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10348 Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU) Dan Wilkerson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10017 Salt River Project (SRP) Daniel J. Casiraro Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09799 Choctaw County, Oklahoma, Board of County Commissioners Danny Antwine Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06280 South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Daphne Neel State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06863 Avista Corp. Darrell Soyars Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06547 North American Concrete Alliance ( NACA) David Hubbard on behalf of North American Concrete Alliance (NACA) Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06860 South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, Environmental Technical Committee David M. Comen Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06296 Alabama Coal Association (ACA) David Roberson Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08270 Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (Cliffs) David Z. Skolasinski Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09618 Waste Permits Division, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) Don Caffery State Government

## 17 Table 3A – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06385 New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Donald A. Streeter, on behalf of Gary A. Frederick State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08856 Michigan Chamber of Commerce Doug Roberts Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06993 Oglethorpe Power Corporation Douglas J. Fulle Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08840 Electric Power Generation Association Douglas L. Biden Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10548 Mobile Abrasives - Alabama Edward J. Serda Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10496 Earthjustice, et. al. Emily Greenlee, on behalf of Lisa Evans Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09994 Department of Water and Power the City of Los Angeles (LADWP) Eric J. Tharp and Mark J. Sedlacek Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07047 Great River Energy Erik Silvola Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06388 Louisiana Public Service Commission Eve Kahao Gonzalez State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09431 Otter Tail Power Company Farren Richard Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06533 Empire District Electric Company George G. Thullesen Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10178 Elite Ready Mix Greg Bridges Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08853 Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Henry Eby Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06820 Western Business Roundtable Holly Propst Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08841 Deseret Generation and Transmission Co operative Howard Vickers Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10545 South Carolina Department of Agriculture Hugh E. Weathers State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03308 City of Merriam, Kansas Hye Jin Lee Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10547 City of Sheffield, Alabama Ian T. Sanford Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04145 Weber Sustainability Consulting Ivan Weber Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06327 Tennessee Valley Public Power Association, Inc. (TVPPA) Jack W. Simmons Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06844 Intermountain Power Agency (IPA) James A. Hewlett Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08251 Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection James C. Colman State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06396 National Rural Electronic Cooperative Association (NRECA) James F. Stine Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10534 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) James G. Toscas Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08863 Private Citizen James J. Rohrbach, P.E. Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10483 Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG) et al. James R. Roewer Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10182 Texas Municipal Power Agency Jan K. Horbaczewski Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08248 Institute for Policy Integrity Jason A. Schwartz Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09349 Santee Cooper Jay Hudson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09284 Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Jeffery A. Steers State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06275 Lansing Board of Water and Light (BWL) and Michigan State University (MSU) Jeffrey L. Woolstrum Electric Utility

## 18 Table 3A – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07680 Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP on behalf of Lansing Board of Water and Light (LBWL) and Michigan State University (MSU) EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06991 East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) Jerry Purvis Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06325 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania House of Representatives Jessica R. Guyer on behalf of Scott E. Hutchinson State Elected Official EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08229 Alabama Public Service Commission John D. Free State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08267 United States Gypsum Company (USG) John Donahue on behalf of Joseph W. Holmes Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06851 American Electric Power (AEP) John M. McManus Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09827 Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) John Pettey Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06415 The Virginia Coal Association, Inc. (VCA) John T. Heard Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06248 Lignite Energy Council John W. Dwyer Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09536 Tennessee Valley Authority John W. Myers Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09728 Intermountain Power Service Corporation (IPSC) Jon A. Finlinson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06822 Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas Joseph F. Reardon Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09427 San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc. (San Miguel) Joseph G. Eutizi Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06987 Entergy Services, Inc. Joseph Hantz Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06355 Birchwood Power Partners, L.P. Julie Caiafa Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06062 Ohio Department of Transportation Juliet Denniss State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09351 West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA) Karen S. Price Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06361 Twin Valleys Public Power District Karen Workmeister for Bruce A. Lam et. al. Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09358 Interstate Life Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company ( WPL) Kathleen A. Lipp Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04039 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Katy Owen on behalf of Cecil E. Roberts Union EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09239 Prairie State Generating Company, LLC (PSGC) Keith Bastian Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06992 National Association of Manufacturers Keith W. McCoy Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02878 Bismarck - Mandan Chamber of Commerce Kelvin L. Hullet Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09765 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Ken Ladwig Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06128 Owensboro Municipal Utilities Kevin D. Frizzell Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10500 Connecticut Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Inc. (CRMCA) Kevin Miller Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06409 State of Alaska Kristin J. Ryan State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08850 Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06814 Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) Larry J. Koshire Electric Utility

## 19 Table 3A – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06555 Saint - Gobain Corporation / CertainTeed Corporation Lauren P. Alterman Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06857 CertainTeed Gypsum, Inc. EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06532 Southern Illinois Power Cooperative Leonard F. Hopkins Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04003 Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) Lia Parisien on behalf of John W. Mitchell State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06311 Earthjustice et. al. Lisa Evans Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06313 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06315 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10495 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06190 Lafayette Utilities System Lisa G. Dowden and Steven C. Pearson Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09886 PMI Ash Technologies, LLC (PMI) Lisa I. Cooper Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07048 TransAlta Centralia Generation Lou Florence Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03936 Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) Ma ry T. Zdanowicz State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06793 Private Citizen Mass Comment Campaign sponsoring organization unknown (47) Private Citizen

EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06416 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR) and Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (WI PSC) Matthew Frank (WI DNR) and Eric Callisto (WI PSC) State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10510 Village of Clinton, Michigan Merlin Mowery Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08225 Minnesota Power (ALLETE) Michael G. Cashin Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07002 Alabama Environmental Council Michael J. Churchman Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07395 Texas Coal Combustion Products Coalition (TCCPC) Michael J. Nasi Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09265 CPS Energy Michael M. Malone Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09278 Colorado Springs Utilities Michael P. Brady Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09681 Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Michael Robertson Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09237 Ohio Coal Association Michael T.W. Carey Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06446 Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative (REC), Inc. Michalene Reilly Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06398 Duke Energy Mike Stroben Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08240 Wisconsin Ready - Mix Concrete Association (WRMCA) Mitch Mariotti Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03934 Kentuckians For The Commonwealth (KFTC) Nancy L. Reinhart Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06305 Clean Water Network Natalie Roy Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09334 Manitowoc Public Utilities (MPU) Nilaksh Kothari Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08246 Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP on behalf of Kansas City Board of Public Utilities Parthenia B. Evans and Dennis Lane Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06528 Buckeye Power, Inc. Patrick O'Loughlin Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08848 American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) Paul Bailey Advocacy Group

## 20 Table 3A – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06912 Sunflower Electric Power Corporation Paul E. Reynolds Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06298 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Paul L. Sloan State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09423 American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) Paul Noe Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06260 Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection R. Bruce Scott State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08855 Colstrip Energy Limited Partnership (CELP) R. Lee Roberts Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08854 Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) R. Steven Brown State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07781 Private Citizen Rafic Minkara, Ph.D., P.E. Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07797 Granger III and Associates, LLC (Granger) Ralph Nurenberg Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10542 U.S. House of Presentatives Randy Stewart Federal Elected Official EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10428 Garland Power & Light (GPL) Ray Schwertner Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06384 Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Rebecca L. Hussey State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08847 Center for Progressive Reform, University of Maryland School of Law Rena Steinzor Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06846 Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Richard B. Tedder on behalf Mary Jean Yon State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09235 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Robert A. G arbini Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07489 Council of Industrial Boiler Owners (CIBO) Robert D. Bessette Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06817 Portland Cement Association Robert Hirsch Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08255 LG&E and KU Energy LLC Robert J. Ehrler on behalf of Dorothy E. O?Brien Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05661 Geosynthetic Institute Robert M. Koerner Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10513 City of Lamar Utilities Board Robert Schemahorn Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06819 Missouri Department of Natural Resources Robert Stout on behalf of Dru Buntin State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07631 Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA), (IPEA), (IMUA) Ronald D. Earl Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08784 Alabama Pulp & Paper Council Roy McAuley Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10172 Wisconsin Department of Transportation Ruben L. Anthony Jr. State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06196 Comite Dialogo Ambiental Ruth Santiago Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09274 RRI Energy Inc. S. Dixon Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09633 Waterkeeper Alliance Scott Edwards Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 01829 Coal Slag Consortium Sean Todd Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08218 Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) Shari T. Wilson State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10262 Bert & Wetta Abilene, Inc. Stan Foltz Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08332 Choctaw County Economic Development District (CCEDD), Mississippi T. Alan Bates Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06917 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Tangela Niemann on behalf of Mark R. Vickery State Government

## 21 Table 3A – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08253 Xcel Energy Terry Coss Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02400 Southern Illinois Motor Xpress, Inc. Terry D. Oetjen Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08219 Pozzi - Tech, Inc. Terry E. Watson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06339 Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. Theresa D. Legere Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09346 American Public Power Association (APPA) Theresa Pugh Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04038 KMR Concrete, Inc. Tim Fletcher Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06872 State of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Todd M. Wallace State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05689 Gresham Transfer, Inc. Tom Welch Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09281 Exelon Power Victoria K. Will Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10515 Town of Holly, Colorado Viola Melcher Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09273 Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Wayne Gieselman State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09995 Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC) Wes Britson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06883 Headwaters Resources, Inc. William H. Gehrmann Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10324 Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) William H. Smagula Electric Ut ility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03444 Kansas Department of Health and Environment William L. Bider State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06356 U.S. Chamber of Commerce William L. Kovacs Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06423 Construction Materials Recycling Association William Turley Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10519 Arkansas River Power Authority (ARPA) William Y. Leung Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08230 Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy (SBA) Winslow Sargeant Federal Agency 

## Table 3B – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11261_CHI - 032 Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group (IERG) Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11736_K - 162 Environmental Intergrity Project (EIP) Abel Russ Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10614_DC - 028 National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Alicia Oman Trade Association TRANS - ARL - 0104 TRANS - LVL - 0055 Vectren Corporation Angila Retherford Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11291_CHI - 005 Wisconsin Electric Power Company d/b/a We Energies Art Covi Electric Utility TRANS - DAL - 0081 Luminant Barry Boswell Electric Utility TRANS - LVL - 0097 Kentucky Coal Association Bill Bissett Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10836_DA - 066 Headwaters Resources Bill Gehrmann Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10823_DA - 053 Texas Concrete Pipe Association Bob Folser Trade Association TRANS - DAL - 0041

## 22 Table 3B – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type TRANS - PIT - 0111 Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association Bruce Cody Trade Association TRANS - LVL - 0044 Duke Energy Indiana Bryan Walsh Electric Utility TRANS - CLT - 0040 Florida Electric Power Coordinating Group Carl Eldred Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11651_K - 066 Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Chad A. Harpole Trade Association TRANS - KNX - 0116 TRANS - LVL - 0139 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10727_DEN - 039 Tri - State Generation and Transmission Association Inc. (Tri - State) Chris Gilbreath Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11287_CHI - 065 City Water Light & Power, Springfield, IL Christine Zeman Electric Utility TRANS - CHI - 0124 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11618_K - 032 Charah, Inc. (Charah) Danny L. Gray Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10777_DA - 008 American Electric Power (AEP) David Miller Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10666_DC - 051 Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) David N. Smith Electric Utility TRANS - DAL - 0092 Office of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts David Schanbacher State Government TRANS - ARL - 0062 Old Dominion Electric Cooperative David Smith Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10732_DEN - 044 Platte River Power Authority David Ussery Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11224_CHI - 095 Headwaters Resources, Inc. (spoke as employee) Doug Anderson Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11480_L - 057 TRANS - PIT - 0010 Electric Power Generation Association Douglas L. Biden Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11424_P - 155 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11575_L - 023 Indianapolis Power & Light Company Dwayne Burke Electric Utility TRANS - LVL - 0005 TRANS - KNX - 0125 Dixie Electric Cooperative Gary Harrison Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10788_DA - 019 Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (Western Farmers) Gerald Butcher Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11203_CHI - 071 Illinois Energy Association James Monk Trade Association TRANS - CHI - 0133 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10682_DC - 070 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) James Stine Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11022_CHA - 057 Santee Cooper Jay Hudson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11368_P - 087 Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Jeff Rossi Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11372_P - 091 Ohio Chamber of Commerce Jennifer Klein Trade Association TRANS - ARL - 0082 Jessica Miller Private Citizen TRANS - DEN - 0012 Joby Adams Private Citizen TRANS - ARL - 0095 Virginia Manufacturers Association Joe Croce Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10712_DEN - 024 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Joe Schieffelin State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11078_CHA - 113 North Carolina Chamber of Commerce John Goodman Trade Association TRANS - CLT - 0116 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11370_P - 089 GIlberton Power Company John K. Hart Electric Utility Facility

## 23 Table 3B – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11304_P - 010 Pennsylvania Coal Association (PCA) Josie Gaskey Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10806_DA - 036 Luminant Julie Prejean Electric Utility TRANS - DAL - 0076 TRANS - KNX - 0065 Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (spoke as employee and citizen) Katherine Stokes Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11703_K - 124 PowerSouth Energy Cooperative Keith Stephens Electric Utility TRANS - KNX - 0129 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11464_L - 040 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Kerri Leininger Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11233_CHI - 104 Southern Illinois Power Cooperative Leonard Hopkins Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10771_DA - 002 Dynegy Inc. Linda Whelan Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10592_DC - 006 Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) Lisa Widawsky Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11381_P - 102 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11195_CHI - 026 Prairie State Generating Company, LLC (PSGC) Mark A. Shepherd Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11202_CHI - 070 Iowa Utility Association (IUA) Mark Douglas Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11733_K - 159 JEA Matt McClure Electric Utility Facility TRANS - KNX - 0088 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11344_P - 057 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Michael G. Forbeck State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11300_P - 006 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Michael Sowko Union EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11286_CHI - 064 Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. Michalene Reilly Electric Utility TRANS - DAL - 0022 San Miguel Electric Cooperative Mike Kezar Electric Utility TRANS - DAL - 0044 CPS Energy Mike Mallone Electric Utility TRANS - DAL - 0065 Texas Coal Ash Utilization Group (TCAUG) Mike Silvertooth Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10825_DA - 055 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10740_DEN - 052 Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (AEPCO) Patrick Ledger Electric Utility TRANS - DEN - 0026 TRANS - DEN - 0025 Sunflower Electric Power Corporation (Sunflower) Paul Reynolds Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10739_DEN - 051 TRANS - PIT - 0046 Scrubgrass Generating Plant Peter Rigney Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11521_L - 139 Kentucky Ready - Mixed Concrete Association (KRMCA) R. Finley Messick Trade Association TRANS - PIT - 0069 FirstEnergy Ray Evans Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11568_L - 016 American Electric Power (AEP) Richard Hayek Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11652_K - 067 Tennessee Paper Council (TPC) and American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) Richard Holland Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11194_CHI - 025 Great River Energy (GRE) Richard Lancaster Electric Utility TRANS - KNX - 0094 Tennessee Paper Council and American Forest & Paper Association Richmond Holland Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11689_K - 111 American Electric Power (AEP) Rick Hayek Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11629_K - 043 Robert Bergman Private Citizen

## 24 Table 3B – Comments Related to Regulatory Costs (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type TRANS - CHI - 0090 Indiana Energy Association Stan Pinegar Trade Association TRANS - DEN - 0093 PPL Montana Steve Christian Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10708_DEN - 020 PPL Montana, LLC Steve J. Christian Electric Utility TRANS - PIT - 0059 American Electric Power Steven Orenchuk Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11512_L - 093 University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research Thomas Robl Academia TRANS - KNX - 0011 Santee Cooper Tom Edens Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11660_K - 075 TRANS - CLT - 0119 SCANA Corporation Tom Effinger Electric Utility TRANS - LVL - 0071 Commerce Lexington Tyler Campbell Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10837_DA - 067 Luminant Usha Turner Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10820_DA - 050 Association of Electric Companies of Texas (AECT) Walt Baum Trade Association TRANS - DAL - 0040 

# 3 .1 Historical/ B aseline C osts Comment Summary Commenters state that the 2010 RIA relies on an inaccurate survey of state government industrial waste regulations to develop baseline CCR management costs. As well, commenters disagree with the 2010 RIA’s scaling factor approach to model the Subtitle D option. One commenter notes that the RIA should but does not claim cost reductions (or benefits) from toxins transferred from the air (due to EPA air ru les) to CCR. Also, commenters claim that the 2010 RIA ignores the cost of converting from wet to dry CCR disposal. 

# EPA Response EPA’s 2014 RIA has updated the data (as of 2011) regarding state regulatory baselines used in the calculation of incremental costs. In addition, the 2014 RIA no longer uses scaling factors for the Subtitle D option. Instead, the cost modeling for the 2014 RIA separately models each CCR landfill and CCR impoundment under both the final rule and the baseline. Regarding cost reductions from air toxins, EPA’s air rules have already claimed air pollution reduction benefits. However, in addition to producing a revised RIA for the CCR final rule, EPA used the EPA Office of Air & Radiation Clean Air Markets Division “Integrated Planning Model” (IPM) to estimate potential additional air pollution reduction benefits for the CCR final rule, associated with potential future retiremen t of coal

- fired boilers as a result of the CCR rule. Finally, the 2010 RIA (Section 4B.3 “ Land Disposal Restriction Cost ”) did indeed include a cost estimate for converting from wet to dry CCR disposal, and EPA’s 2014 RIA includes a revised estimate based on cost data collected from electric utility plants in the EPA Office of Water’s 2010 ICR survey in support of its June 2013 “ Steam Electric Power Generator Effluent Limitations Guidelines ” proposed rule.

## 25 

# 3 .2 Incorrect C ost A ssumptions Comment Summary Comm enters claim that the 2010 RIA uses old and/or outdated information on the controls at CCR disposal units, and does not use information regarding more protective controls installed at recently

- constructed units. As well, commenters note that the 2010 RIA h as inconsistent data regarding the number of facilities using offsite disposal. One commenter noted that the RIA uses inaccurate assumptions to measure dry

- conversion costs. Commenters also claim that the RIA should take into account transportation costs o f increased offsite disposal, and others state the methods used to calculate transportation costs are not reasonable. Some commenters note that states already have CCR regulations and these should be incorporated into the RIA baseline. Alternatively, comme nters note that some states allow variances for these regulations and thus the baseline is overly optimistic regarding state requirements. Similarly, some commenters disagree with the RIA’s 48% state enforcement rate for the Subtitle D option and the “ D - pr ime ” regulatory approach; some suggest using higher rates, while others suggest using lower rates. Similarly, some commenters suggest the RIA estimate costs and benefits using alternative discount rates. Several comments note that EPA must consider the cum ulative effects of the CCR rule with respect to other recent EPA regulations which also affect the electric utility industry. One commenter notes that CCRs as generated may not meet RCRA land disposal restriction (LDR) treatment standards, and thus facilit ies may incur additional costs to treat CCRs before disposal. Another commenter says the 2010 RIA does not include the cost elements of: storage, design and operating standards; corrective action; and added cleanup cost. Commenters raise concern that the r egulated universe will not be able to pass through CCR rule compliance costs to their customers as is suggested in the RIA. Commenters claim that the cost

- benefit calculations presented in the preamble are based on the limited scope of EPA’s 2010 Risk Asse ssment for the CCR proposed rule, and as such underestimate human health benefits. A commenter claims that EPA’s assumption on phasing out of coal plants does not have any limits. As well, a number of commenters provided their own analyses of the CCR rule and presented their impact estimation methodology and results. Finally, many commenters suggest in general that there are cost errors in the 2010 RIA, while not providing specific examples. 

# EPA Response EPA’s CCR final rule 2014 RIA used the most current data sources and public responses to EPA’s October 2011 “Notice of Data Availability” (NODA) to identify state regulatory baseline requirements. The following sources were used: impoundment data from ORCR 's 2009

- 2011 impoundment site inspections; impoundment data from ORCR's 2009 mail survey to plants with impoundments; and landfill and impoundment data from EPA Office of Water's 2010 mail survey to power plants for the Steam Electric Power Generating Effl uent Guidelines. State CCR disposal regulations in effect in 2011 related to pollution controls at landfills and impoundments also were

## 26

reviewed. The review addressed 34 states with coal

- fired electric utility plants. The plants in these states account for 97% of the annual tonnage of CCR generated. IWith regard to commenters that noted inconsistent data regarding facilities with offsite disposal, EPA has made adjustments to the RIA universe of power plants affected by the CCR final rule, and thus these num bers in the associated RIA have changed. Under the RIA for CCR final rule, 197 out of 478 plants, or 41%, dispose CCRs offsite. The 2014 RIA assumes a 25 mile one

- way distance to the nearest offsite landfill or surface impoundment. The 25 mile distance is applied for all offsite disposal, and while generalized, a sensitivity analysis in section 7.1.4 of the 2014 RIA illustrates that the transportation distance of offsite disposal has only small marginal implications on transportation costs (decreasing the d istance 50% drops total transportation costs by 2%). The 2014 RIA used nationwide truck transport distances and trucking costs in the cost analysis; EPA does not have micro

- data on the unique trucking distances and costs to Subtitle D landfills for every e lectric utility plant. n response to the commenters that claim EPA uses incorrect assumptions for CCR wet to dry conversion costs, the 2014 RIA revised the wet to dry CCR conversion cost estimate; it applies dry conversion cost data obtained in EPA Office of Water’s 2010 ICR survey of the electric utility industry. Both the 2010 RIA and the 2014 RIA attempted to take existing state regulations into account in the RIA “baseline” projection of future conditions. As well, the 2014 RIA (Section 7.3.2) presents an analysis of state regulatory exemptions and variances for CCR management: EPA obtained updated information on the status of state government regulatory programs affecting CCR management, and re

- estimated the RIA’s baseline costs. The basis for the 48% e nforcement rate assumption on page 198 of the 2010 RIA is an analysis of current regulatory requirements for groundwater monitoring by states across the country. It was assumed that groundwater monitoring is necessary to determine the existence of groundwa ter contamination. Without groundwater monitoring, states would not be able to identify and thus enforce the cleanup of groundwater contamination and avoid potential future cancers. From page 124 of the 2010 RIA, the states with groundwater monitoring requ irements in their regulations for either or both existing surface impoundments and newly constructed surface impoundments account for 48% of the total CCR tonnage managed in surface impoundments in the country. This enforcement rate represents a national a verage and not necessarily current enforcement conditions in any particular state. However, the 2014 RIA uses a modeling approach, rather than scaling factors, to individually estimate all costs across the regulatory baseline, as well as incremental costs for the CCR final rule. As such, it does not use scaling factors based on state regulatory baseline enforcement to estimate compliance costs. Regarding commenters that suggest applying alternative discount rates, the 2014 RIA applies both a 3% and 7% disco unt rate to its analysis and provides results for each throughout the document. These two rates are mandated by OMB’s Circular A

- 4 for conducting Federal regulatory impact analyses.

## 27

To consider cumulative effects of EPA rules, EPA used the “Integrated Plan ning Model” (IPM) to evaluate potential future effects of the CCR rule on the nationwide electricity market. IPM estimates expected coal

- fired boiler/plant retirements, changes in electricity generation, electricity demand, and other electricity market and environmental effects. IPM includes both the effects of the CCR rule as well as the cumulative effects of other EPA regulations, including EPA’s 2012 Mercury & Air Toxics final rule and EPA’s 2014 Cooling Water Intake Structures final rule. The results fr om EPA IPM market effects estimation project for the CCR final rule are available as Appendix X to the 2014 RIA . However, because it is not yet finalized, it is more appropriate for the Office of Surface Mining to estimate the effects of its CCR minefill r ule on the volume and cost of alternatively managing CCR in landfills. Regarding the commenter that suggested LDR treatment cost be included in the CCR RIA, the CCR final rule does not contain LDR treatment standards (LDR standards pertain only to RCRA Sub title C regulations). The cost of converting CCR management to dry handling is a key factor in the decision to retrofit or close impoundments both the baseline as well as the CCR final rule. However, these costs are highly uncertain, and actual costs vary widely depending on existing technology, age, and size of each plant. Ideally this RIA would use plant

- specific data to estimate all costs, but limited information is available about specific plant costs in part because plants responding to the 2010 EPA Of fice of Water survey chose to restrict access to the wet

- to - dry handling conversion costs to preserve confidentiality. Data for this critical part of the closure conversion process are available only on an average cost per ton of waste basis, and it is not clear to what extent the costs in these data may overlap with other steps in the process laid out above (e.g., wastewater treatment tank systems and construction of replacement impoundments). As a result, this RIA relies on general, average cost estimates of typical technologies. Moreover, while the total national

- level cost per ton for conversion to dry handling is calculated at a plant level in the model, the actual cost of wet

- to - dry handling conversion is not related to tonnage in a linear fashion, and plant level conversion costs based on these data do not accurately reflect the cost of conversion. EPA recognized in the 2010 RIA (Exhibit 4K “ Summary of Cost Estimates for the Regulatory Options ”) that the RIA did not completely estimate all costs (e.g., cost elements 10. storage, design & operating standards, 14. RCRA corrective action, and 17. Added cleanup cost). In the 2014 RIA EPA attempted to estimate all relevant cost elements for the fina l rule. PA’s 2010 RIA human health benefit category was based on the limited scope of the EPA’s 2010 Risk Assessment; as such the RIA did indeed underestimate potential human health benefits of the CCR rule. The 2010 RIA (Chapter 5) expanded the scope of m onetized human health benefits compared to the 2010 RIA (11 monetized benefits, compared to 4 monetized benefits in the 2010 RIA). However, because of data and/or methodology limitations, EPA was unable to monetize 11 other expected benefits which are desc ribed in Chapter 6 of the 2014 RIA. In response to commenters that suggest the regulated universe may not be able to pass through CCR rule compliance costs to their customers (in the form of higher electricity prices), EPA’s 2014 RIA cost estimates, small business impact analysis, unfunded mandates and Federalism cost impact analyses for the CCR final rule, do not rely on cost pass

- through but are based on an upper

## 28

bound cost assumption of zero cost pass

- through by electricity plants. For the commenter who says that EPA’s assumption of phasing out of coal plants does not have any limits, EPA has supplemented the 2014 RIA by adopting the (a) 2012

- 2020 coal

- fired boiler/plant retirement data, and (b) 2012

- 2050 coal consumption projection data, from the “ Integr ated Planning Model ” version 5.13; both projections have limits. For commenters that provided their own analyses, EPA has attempted to correct 2010 RIA calculation errors in the 2014 RIA . One example is the addition of a “ stranded cost ” element to the 2014 RIA, which was proposed by commenters. However, for one commenter that provided their own independent analyses, EPA was unable to find documentation to validate the monetization factors applied in this comment and thus their suggestions were not incorpora ted into the RIA. Regarding commenters that found general, overarching errors in the 2010 RIA, the 2014 RIA has been largely reworked and the cost errors from the 2010 RIA no longer apply. The 2014 RIA has been thoroughly reviewed by EPA for cost errors. 

# 3 .3 Landfill and Surface Impoundment Liner Costs Comment Summary Commenters claim that the universal requirement for liners will require leachate treatment systems and that the RIA fails to analyze these costs. As well, commenters argue that a Flexible Memb rane Liner (FML) is the recommended liner choice for CCR landfills and surface impoundments. Finally, commenters feel that landfill and/or surface impoundments liner requirements are cost prohibitive. 

# EPA Response EPA's 2014 RIA includes hazardous waste te sting (TCLP testing) costs. These costs include hazardous waste testing in the first year, repeated every three years. The 2014 RIA also includes costs for leachate collection systems, and the management of these systems. Liner recommendations do not apply to the CCR RIA. Similarly, cost prohibitiveness of rule requirements do not apply to the methods or results of the RIA. 

# 3 .4 G roundwater Monitoring Costs Comment Summary EPA received two cost comments related to groundwater monitoring costs; however these comments were also classified as “costs to specific groups” (section 4.7 below) and “other” (section 4.11 below); EPA provides responses in those two sections, respectively. 

# EPA Response No response necessary in this section.

## 29 

# 3 .5 Fugitive D ust C ontrol C osts Comment Summary EPA received no comments pertaining to fugitive CCR dust control cost estimation in the 2010 RIA. 

# EPA Response No response necessary. 

# 3 .6 Wet - to - Dry Handling C onversion C osts Comment Summary Commenters claim that the 2010 RIA ignores costs of wet

- to - dry CCR disposal conversion. As well, commenters argue that the 2010 RIA does not consider all costs of a 100% dry handled CCR operation. 

# EPA Response The 2010 RIA (Section 4B.3 “ Land Disposal Restriction Cost ”) provides an estimate of the cost for power plants to convert from wet to dry CCR disposal. The 2014 RIA (chapters 3 and 4) includes costs of wet

- dry CCR handling conversion, and applies these costs in cases where facilities switch from wet CCR handling (i.e., disposal or storage in s urface impoundments) to dry CCR handling (i.e., disposal in on

- site or off

- site landfills). The 2014 RIA includes costs for corrective action (i.e., cleanup) associated with CCR impoundment structural failure spills and releases. Separately, the 2014 RIA u ses a decision based regulatory compliance cost estimation model in which power plants choose the “least cost” CCR management option while complying with the CCR rule requirements. As such, a plant may choose to convert all operations to dry if the model c onsiders this to be the least cost option for any given plant. 

# 3 .7 Costs to S pecific G roups Comment Summary Many commenters note that citizens will ultimately bear the cost of the CCR rule in the increased cost for goods and services (e.g., increased elect ricity prices), and some argue that these costs are not accounted for in the 2010 RIA. One commenter feels that industry should pay CCR rule compliance costs, and that costs should not be passed through to consumers. Separately, commenters note that the 20 10 RIA should take into account electricity market impacts, including costs to rate payers and power plant closures. Similarly, commenters disagree with the EPA’s sentiment in the RIA that electricity market consumption will not decrease as a result of inc reased electricity prices from facilities passing costs through to consumers. Commenters note that EPA should consider employment impacts on the utility sector and on non

- utilities. Commenters also suggest

## 30

that EPA consider effects to state governments. La stly, a number of commenters recommend EPA to favor a particular regulatory option for the CCR final rule. 

# EPA Response Comments suggesting that citizens will bear the cost of the regulation do not address EPA's estimate of the total costs of the rule, but rather the distribution of these across different segments of society. The 2014 RIA addresses the following distributional analyses: electricity price analysis; Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act analysis; Unfunded Mandates Reform Act analysis; tri bal government analysis; CCR beneficial use sensitivity analyses; and Federalism analysis. To consider the maximum potential impact on consumers, the electricity price analysis includes a sensitivity analysis considering the impact on electricity prices if all costs were to be passed through to consumers. Regarding the comment that suggests industry should bear the costs: this comment does not apply to the CCR RIA. EPA used the Integrated Planning Model (IPM) to analyze electricity market effects of the CCR final rule. IPM provides detailed output regarding electricity market impacts, include electricity pricing, demand, fuel switching, and electricity boiler and power plant closures. Comments that question the validity of EPA’s statement that it does not ex pect electricity demand to change due the final rule can reference the IPM evaluation, which explicitly forecasts electricity demand. Details of the IPM model and its projected future electricity market effects of the CCR final rule are available as Append ix X to the 2014 RIA . Appendix X also presents potential future employment impacts in sectors affected directly and indirectly by the CCR final rule, analyzed both semi

- quantitatively and qualitatively. EPA has attempted in both the 2014 RIA and the ICR paperwork burden statement for the CCR final rule, to itemize all state government implementation costs. Lastly, the 2010 RIA provides cost estimates for each of the regulatory options (i.e., Subtitle C, Subtitle D, and D

- prime) to aid in the decision maki ng process. Comments regarding preference for a specific option are not an RIA related issue. 

# 3 .8 Corrective A ction (Groundwater Cleanup) C osts Comment Summary EPA received no comments pertaining to corrective action costs. 

# EPA Response No response neces sary.

## 31 

# 3 .9 Impoundment Failure / Spill Cleanup C osts Comment Commenters argue the 2010 RIA’s (Section 5B) estimate of $3 billion remediation cost for the December 2008 TVA Kingston CCR release is overly high. Other commenters claim that the failure at TVA Kin gston was not typical or representative, and conclude that because of that the RIA overestimates cleanup costs. Commenters also have concerns regarding the oil spill cost model applied in the 2010 RIA. Lastly, commenters suggest EPA more accurately model C CR management units that will require cleanup. 

# EPA Response EPA no longer uses the $3 billion estimate in the 2014 RIA , and applies an alternate method to estimate cleanup costs. Regarding comments that TVA Kingston is not representative, both the 2010 RIA and the 2014 RIA rely on a projection of future CCR impoundment structural failures as probabilities calculated in relation to historical CCR impoundment structural failure data. Thus the analysis takes into account a wide variety of structural failure ty pes, frequencies of occurrence, and CCR release volumes. As well, the 2014 RIA does not apply the oil spill cost model but applies a revised analysis of historical CCR impoundment failure/spill cases. The CCR final rule requires electric utility plants to monitor groundwater and conduct groundwater cleanup corrective action for unlined CCR surface impoundments detected to leak chemical contaminants which exceed “ maximum concentration levels ” in relation to drinking water protection standards. The count of, and associated corrective action cost for, unlined leaking impoundments which may exceed MCLs is a probabilistic analysis in the 2014 RIA. 

# 3 .10 Storage Costs Comment Summary EPA received one cost comment related to groundwater monitoring costs; however this comments were also classified as Wet

- to - Dry conversion” (section 4.6) and EPA responded to it in that section. 

# EPA Response No response necessary. 

# 3 .11 Other Cost - Related Comments Comment Summary Commenters claim that the RIA does not account for publ ic health costs associated with the slow implementation of the Subtitle D rule. Separately, commenters disagree with the 50 year future time period of analysis used in the 2010 RIA. Some commenters note general

## 32

disagreement with the data and/or approach us ed to model facility

- specific cost increases in the RIA, and others claim that EPA does not consider the cost of CCR disposal impoundments at plants that are fuel switching. Commenters also raise that the RIA ignores the effect of plant retirements and the cost of replacement power. Many commenters also provide more general disagreements regarding costs in the RIA. Commenters attest that the RIA ignores the complex nature of power plant operations and CCR management. As well, commenters note general transpa rency issues regarding data and methods, while others provide general statements regarding the overestimation or underestimation of costs. Similarly, commenters claim that the Subtitle D rule will increase costs of disposal and will not address the environ mental threat of CCRs. Commenters suggest EPA reviews comments by other Federal agencies, state governments, and other interested organizations, and also review EPA’s 2009 CCR Surface Impoundment ICR mail survey. Lastly, a large number of commenters sugges t that the costs of the CCR rule are too high. 

# EPA Response Both EPA’s 2010 RIA and the 2014 RIA , attempted to quantify the difference in implementation and benefits between the Subtitle C and Subtitle D co

- proposed options. Unfortunately, human health and environmental protection benefits estimation in EPA rulemaking RIAs is still largely a “craft” compared to the “science” of industrial compliance cost estimation. The 2014 RIA revised its future period of analysis from 50 years to 100 years to take into a ccount all costs and benefits of the CCR rule. The 100 year time period is similarly in accordance with OMB Circular A

- 4 which indicates that the period of analysis should be long enough to adequately incorporate all rule costs and benefits. Ideally, the 2014 RIA would use plant

- specific data to estimate all costs, including wet

- dry conversion costs associated with the final rule. However, data regarding the costs of implementing and maintaining the various pollution controls required by the final rule at each coal

- fired electric utility plant are not available. Rather, the 2014 RIA uses a cost model that estimates average costs for each combination of pollution control requirements at a given CCR disposal unit and/or coal

fired electric utility plant. This cost model ascribes both variable (i.e., per ton of CCR) and fixed costs associated with pollution control or combination of pollution controls. Factors such as unique design specifications or unique, plant

- specific cost structures, may lead to deviations from costs estimated by the 2014 RIA on the individual facility level. However, given that the 2014 RIA employs national average costs, and adjusts for state regulatory baselines and state cost indices when estimating compliance costs, these deviations li kely balance out when considered on a national basis. REPA’s 2014 RIA has been aligned with recent and planned future coal

- fired boiler retirements as listed in the NEEDS v.5.13 database associated with the ”Integrated Planning Model” (IPM) which EPA uses to evaluate other proposed and final environmental regulations, for example, associated with control of air pollution by the electric utility industry.

## 33

The 2014 RIA applies three components to address retiring plants and replacement power. First, the 2014 RIA adopts the IPM NEEDS v.5.13 database’s list of plant retirements before 2016, and applies zero cost to these plants as they are no longer subject to the rule. Secondly, the RIA applies the IPM forecast of coal burned as a proxy for CCR generation, and scales each plant’s CCR generation in the RIA model by changes in the IPM forecast. Finally, the separate report provided as Appendix X to the 2014 RIA updates the IPM v.5.13 base case model with the CCR rule to estimate effects on the electricity market. Results illustrate incremental effects of the CCR rule on plant closures and electricity generation. Due to the complex nature of power plant operations and CCR management, the 2014 RIA relied on generalizations and assumptions to model the future costs of the CCR rule. Many of these simplifications are used in the face of incomplete or non

- existent data, confidential business information, or uncertainty. However, compared to the 2010 RIA, the 2014 RIA incorporates more involved decision

- based modeling to r eflect the complicated decisions that power plants may face under the CCR final rule. The model is described in detail in Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, and further within the 2014 RIA’s appendices. As well, many of the RIA’s cost modeling assumptions are tested in Chapter 7 sensitivity analyses. R egarding concerns of transparency, the 2014 RIA clearly cites all sources, assumptions, and methodologies in the text of the RIA and its appendices. Regarding concerns of overestimation and underestimation, the 2014 RIA adjusted many of its data sources, methods, and assumptions to provide the most accurate representation of costs and benefits. As well, both the 2010 RIA and the 2014 RIA attempted to quantify the difference in implementation and benefits between the Subt itle C and Subtitle D co

- proposed options in 2010. Unfortunately, human health and environmental protection benefits estimation in EPA rulemaking RIAs is still largely a “craft” compared to the “science” of industrial compliance cost estimation. For the co mment that suggest EPA conduct further review, the 2014 RIA applies additional information from the suggested organizations as well as from EPA’s 2009 CCR impoundment ICR mail survey. Lastly, for comments that claim the rule is too expensive and/or does no t provide environmental protection, the role of the RIA is to estimate the costs of the rule as it is written to aid in the decision making process. Thus these issues are not directly relate to the RIA. 

# 4 .0 Comments Related to Environmental , Human Health, and Economic Benefits The public stakeholders submitted comments relating to environmental and economic benefits, which are grouped into seven subcategories: 1. Monetization Issues 2. Avoided Cancer Benefits 3. Avoided Catastrophic Failure Benefits 4. Av oided Remediation Cost Benefits

## 34

5. Other Benefit

- Related Comments Table 4A – Comments Related to Environmental and Economic Benefits (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10493 Wake Forest University, Department of Biology A. Dennis Lemly Academia EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06526 Green Delaware Alan Muller Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06883 Tri - State Generation & Transmission Barbara A. Walz Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07791 Edison Mission Energy, LLC Basil G. Constantelos Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09808 Wyoming Outdoor Council Bruce Pendery Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06242 Charah, Inc. Charles Price Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08267 Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (Cliffs) David Z. Skolasinski Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08270 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08847 Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Henry Eby Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08248 Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection James C. Colman State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10483 Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG) et al. James R. Roewer Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08244 Institute for Policy Integrity Jason A. Schwartz Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06956 East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) Jerry Purvis Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06991 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06991 Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GAEPD) Jim Brown for Mark Smith State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06398 Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG) Jim Roewer Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06526 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06315 Dayton Power & Light Company (DP&L) JoAnne Rau Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08253 United States Gypsum Company (USG) John Donahue on behalf of Joseph W. Holmes Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09633 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Ken Ladwig Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09765 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10494 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03707 Green Century Capital Management Kristina Curtis Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06311 Earthjustice et. al. Lisa Evans Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06315 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10495 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 20 09 - 0640 - 09886 PMI Ash Technologies, LLC (PMI) Lisa I. Cooper Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06352 Duke Energy Mike Stroben Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06398 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 0 3934 Kentuckians For The Commonwealth (KFTC) Nancy L. Reinhart Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06298 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Paul L. Sloan State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06260 Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection R. Bruce Scott State Government

## 35

Table 4A – Comments Related to Environmental and Economic Benefits (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08270 Center for Progressive Reform, University of Maryland School of Law Rena Steinzor Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08847 Center for Progressive Reform, University of Maryland School of Law Rena Steinzor Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08853 Waterkeeper Alliance Scott Edwards Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08251 Xcel Energy Terry Coss Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06202 American Coal Ash Association (ACAA) Thomas H. Adams Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06852 Headwaters Resources, Inc. William H. Gehrmann Beneficial User 

## Table 4B – Comments Related to Environmental and Economic Benefits (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type TRANS - KNX - 0048 Environmental Integrity Project Abel Russ Advocacy Group TRANS - KNX - 0045 Charah Danny Gray Beneficial User TRANS - ARL - 0002 Environmental Integrity Project Eric Shaffer Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10608_DC - 022 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Karthik Obla Trade Association 

# 4 .1 Monetization Issues Comment Summary Commenters found that EPA’s discussion of monetization in general was unclear, that EPA should have done more to monetize, or otherwise evaluate and consider other or unquantified benefits such as surface water contamination, litigation costs, buying nearb y property, and providing public drinking water. One commenter directed EPA to a paper by Dr. Lemly that monetizes ecological harms of coal ash. Another commenter believed that EPA should not monetize or consider fugitive dust benefits as these are already subject to existing state implementation plans. Finally, commenters suggested that the monetization of benefits would favor a subtitle C approach. 

# EPA Response EPA considers 22 benefit categories in the 2014 RIA. 11 of these benefit categories are evaluated quantitatively, or monetized, as the commenters suggested. An additional 11 benefit categories are only discussed qualitatively. Further discussion of these 22 benefit categories can be found in Section 5 and Section 6 of the 2014 RIA. With respect to litigation, buying adjacent property, and providing public drinking water, EPA believes that these activities are alternatives to cleanup which are practiced in some states, whereas the RIA’s assumption of a s uccessful cleanup would result in these being superfluous. With respect to Dr. Lemly’s report, EPA notes that Section 5 of the 2014 RIA monetizes ecological benefits that overlap with those considered in Dr. Lemly’s report.

## 36

With respect to comments that EPA should not evaluate benefits of reduced emissions from fugitive dust controls, EPA does not quantify these benefits in the 2014 RIA as there was insufficient data. Thus, no further response is required. Finally, with respe ct to subtitle C, see Section 2 of this response to comments document. 

# 4 .2 Avoided Cancer Benefits Comment Summary Commenters raised many issues suggesting that the calculation of cancer reduction benefits was overestimated. Specifically, commenters stat ed that EPA did not use current estimates of disposal practices involving liners, account for the period of time contamination takes to reach a receptor, or include a latency period. Commenters also suggested alternate cancer slope factors that EPA should have used or carried forward, presented data that arsenic was typically in the pentavalent form, and that CCR impoundment sizes had been overestimated. Furthermore, these commenters found that cancer reductions for subtitle D may have been underestimated d ue to the use of groundwater monitoring as the lone proxy for a good state program, and the failure to assume that all facilities complied with the rule. Commenters also presented comments that suggested EPA underestimated cancer reduction benefits. Speci fically, commenters found that EPA used an inadequate leachate test, incorrectly used a 5

- year survival rate when 10

- year survival rates were suggested by the Cost of Illness Handbook, failed to quantify avoided cancers from off

- site disposal and beneficia l use, and failed to use epidemiological data around CCR disposal sites. Furthermore, commenters found that EPA underestimated benefits by only examining arsenic cancer cases and not including other pathways and other cancer and noncancer effects. Commente rs also found the accrual of health benefits in the baseline to be unsupported. Finally, commenters generally pointed to the calculation of cancer benefits as reasons to support a subtitle C or subtitle D rule. 

# EPA Response EPA no longer uses a cancer case s avoided approach to monetize human health benefits from decreased groundwater contamination. Instead, EPA uses a willingness to pay approach, as discussed in Section 5 of the 2014 RIA . This approach allows EPA to capture more health benefits than the 201 0 RIA . To the extent that commenters stated their preference for a subtitle C or D rule, see Section 2 of this response to comments document. 

# 4 .3 Avoided Structural Failure/Spill Benefits Comment Summary Commenters pointed out that EPA’s structural integ rity inspections did not find any impoundments rated “unsatisfactory,” and furthermore pointed out that only 16% rated

## 37

“poor.” One commenter claimed that no structural failures have occurred before or since the December 2008 CCR impoundment structural fail ure at TVA’s Kingston plant. One commenter found that GAEPD regulations already in place would prevent the type of failure that occurred at TVA’s Kingston plant. One commenter believes that EPA should have assumed that plants will take more active steps a fter the Kingston spill. Furthermore, that commenter believes that t he Kingston spill was a very rare event, and EPA should have used site

- specific data for predicting other failures. Additionally, the commenter questions why EPA failed to evaluate the benefits of improving design requirements as well as monitoring and repair regimes. Commenters also questioned whether t he selection of 10% and 20% failure rates were properly justified. Some commenters stated that f ailure probability should have increased for impoundments that were not designed by an engineer. Other commenter questioned why EPA does not account for factors that would increase costs beyond those of Kingston such as impoundment capacity, relative CCR toxicity, and the potential loss of huma n life. These commenters also pointed out that EPA missed several other releases and erroneously omitted releases of “unknown” magnitude without further research, as illustrated by the release at the Bowen Power Station of over two million gallons. These c ommenters further stated that EPA had incorrect release dates and erroneously used a 15

- year period of analysis instead of a 10

- year period of analysis . Finally, commenters argued that EPA underestimated the costs attributed to the Kingston ash spill and other failures. Specifically, commenters found that EPA’s estimate of remediation by TVA should be increased because EPA did not consider the purchase of 150 parcels of land or the provision of $40 million to local governments to restore the image and econ omy of affected communities. These commenters also found that EPA underestimated ecological and socioeconomic costs at Kingston by using inadequately small Etkin multipliers, and further failed to consider ecological and socioeconomic costs for the signifi cant failures at all. Commenters also took issue with the fact that EPA did not include seepage and other small release events in its analysis. 

# EPA Response Since the TVA Kingston incident, EPA has contin ued to conduct site inspections . During those inspec tions, o ne additional surface impoundment was rated “unsatisfactory.” Furthermore, impoundments that do not rate “unsatisfactory” today, may degrade due to mismanagement or acts of nature, and later become so. Thus, although the commenter is correct in poi nting out the findings of EPA’s first rounds of site inspections, EPA continues to believe that events like the one that happened at Kingston could happen again in the future. In addition, several other releases in the millions of gallons led up to the Kingston spill or occurred afterward. Thus, EPA declines to speculate that the knowledge of these releases will result in voluntary industry improvement that seems to conflict with the numerous releases occurring in the run

- up to Kingston and its aftermath . Similarly, the fact that a Kingston

- sized CCR impoundment structural failure

## 38

has not happened from coal ash before or since does not carry much weight to the agency. Spills like the Buffalo Creek disaster, referenced by another commenter, have occurred t hroughout history in the United States and abroad. The simple fact of the matter is that impounding large amounts of liquids will always pose a significant threat unless properly managed. With regard to a comment that EPA should have considered Georgia’s r egulations, EPA notes that one of the worst releases occurred at the Bowen plant in Georgia, and that 3 releases were reported in Georgia over the 10

- year period that plants reported over. With regard to a commenter’s desire for EPA to evaluate the benefit s of improving design, monitoring, and repair regimes, EPA has done so in Section 5 of the 2014 RIA . EPA agrees that the 10% and 20% failure rates were not properly justified. Since these rates were only used of a sensitivity analysis in the draft RIA, and are not included in the 2014 RIA , no further response is necessary. With respect to comments regarding EPA’s release data, EPA notes that it has made several updates where it could verify correct dates and tonnages for releases. This revised database is include d as Exhibit P

- 6 of Appendix P. Based on this revised database, EPA now assumes a 10

- year period of reporting for all facilities unless an earlier release was r eported. In these cases, EPA includes additional reporting years to the denominator to balance the inclusion of the earlier release. Furthermore, EPA now account s for all non - seepage events whether they are larger events than Kingston , smaller than the sig nificant failures of the 2010 RIA , or even of an unknown magnitude . However, EPA did not include seepage events as these events do not present significant quantities of liquid which would require remediation or result in harm. Nor did EPA include release e vents at facilities that did not report to the EPA survey . Instead, EPA used only reported release events at plants that were represented in the survey to avoid biasing the results . While adding the missing historical releases at these additional sites wou ld affect the projected future releases by increas ing the numerator in the average failure rate calculation, t he inclusion of additional impoundment

- years that were not part of EPA’s survey would also increase the denominator in this equation . Without a co mprehensive survey response from each of these plants, inclusion of known releases could bias the results low by only providing a partial picture over that 10

- year period. With respect to suggestions that EPA account for factors that would increase costs b eyond those of Kingston, EPA has done so to the extent that it now considers impoundment capacity. With respect to the other suggestions to consider CCR toxicity and the potential loss of human life, EPA notes that these could only be done on a site

- specif ic basis, may either under

- or overestimate costs at any particular site, and would require consideration of additional precautions that are taken at that specific facility. EPA also notes that it has revised its estimates of remediation costs, ecological costs, and socioeconomic costs due to releases. This includes a more detailed review of the available literature that can be found in Section 5 and Appendices Q and R of the 2014 RIA . The results of this more detailed review are used not only to adjust th e costs of catastrophic releases, but for all releases whether they are larger than or smaller than Kingston. Finally, with respect to comments that EPA should have considered TVA’s purchase of nearby land or the provision of $40 million to local governmen ts, EPA notes that the former cost is likely an alternative to future litigation (which EPA does capture) and the latter is a voluntary effort aimed at improving the company’s image. Thus, EPA does not find the inclusion of these costs to be necessary.

## 39 

# 4 .4 Avoided Groundwater Remediation Benefits Comment Summary Commenters stated their belief that EPA double

- counted groundwater remediation benefits with cancer cases avoided, or alternatively that since EPA could allow cancer cases worth less than the cleanup costs, there was no benefit of groundwater remediation at all. Commenters also took specific issue with the point

- estimate s used for remediation costs, the interaction between time to remediation and costs, whether compliance is a good proxy for remediation, the exclusion of cleanups where interception occurred, and the possibility of cleanup below background. Finally, commen ters generally commented on the differences in remediation costs avoided under subtitles C and D, or discussed groundwater benefits as being supportive of a subtitle C or subtitle D regulation. 

# EPA Response EPA strongly disagrees with commenters suggestin g that there are no groundwater remediation benefits because EPA could allow people to suffer cancer and noncancer health risks. Furthermore, to the extent that the same commenter believed double

- counting had occurred, EPA had actually accounted for this i n the draft rule RIA by decreasing cancers as groundwater remediation occurred. Since the 2014 RIA no longer monetizes cancer cases avoided, double counting is no longer an issue, and thus no further response is required. EPA has also revised other aspects touched upon by commenters. EPA has updated the remediation costs as detailed in Sections 4 and 5 of the 2014 RIA , conducted more detailed modeling of when leaks would occur and be detected, and revised the assumptions regarding state compliance. Furtherm ore, EPA no longer considers interception in deciding when groundwater remediation occurs. In contrast to these changes, EPA was unable to consider background concentrations as these concentrations and actual leachate concentrations would have to be assess ed on a site

- specific basis rather than the nationwide basis of the RIA. Finally, with respect to comments being for or against a subtitle C rule, see Section 2 of this response to comments document. 

# 4 .5 Other Benefit - Related Comments Comment Summary Com menters provided a random assortment of comments on benefits. Several commenters criticized EPA for its assumptions of decreased enforcement leading to lower benefits under subtitle D with one suggesting it should be much higher and the other suggesting it should be much lower. Another commenter provided a draft report estimating damages to surface waters from poisoned fish. A third commenter stated that a stringent rule could decrease financial risk to investors. Two other commenter s found that EPA should have

## 40

estimated the benefits of decreased fugitive dust emissions. A fifth commenter pointed out that any tendency of the rule to decrease coal usage would also be a benefit. Two other commenter s suggested that EPA evaluate fear /property value stigma benefi ts. Finally, one commenter suggested that EPA consider the benefits gap. 

# EPA Response EPA no longer assumes partial enforcement under subtitle D due to inadequate state regulatory programs and the difficulty of citizen suits. Instead, EPA believes that the increased reporting and recordkeeping requirements will allow states and citizen groups to successfully enforce the rule. With respect to the report on damages to poisoned fish, EPA now quantitatively evaluates ecological benefits in Section 5 of the 2014 RIA . Since these benefits would include the harm to fish discussed in the report, no further response is necessary. EPA also qualitatively discusses financial risk to investors in Section 6 of the 2014 RIA . As discussed in an earlier response, EPA does not quantitatively evaluate benefits of reducing fugitive dust emissions. However, EPA does qualitatively discuss the p otential property nuisance benefits of decreased fugitive dust emissions in Section 6 of the 2014 RIA . T he future decreased coal usage is modeled in Appendix X of the 2014 RIA using the IPM model . This report also estimates benefits associated with future decreased coal usage due to decreased particulate matter precursors as well as decreased greenhouse gas emissions. With respect to one commenter’s request that EPA evaluate fear benefits, EPA has included this benefit category as a qualitative benefit in Section 6 of the 2014 RIA . Finally, comments regarding the benefits gap are addressed in Section 6 of this response to comments document. 

# 5 .0 Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use s The public stakeholders submitted comments relating to impacts on beneficial use, which are grouped into nine subcategories: 1. Accuracy of life cycle benefits 2. Industry

- specific economic data 3. Impact scenarios

Table 5A – Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 01577 (no name provided) C & C Ready Mix Corporation Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05905 Bull Concrete Adam Pinto Beneficial User

## 41

Table 5A – Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02185 Ceramatec Inc. Anthony Nickens Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06251 We Energies Art Covi Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06872 Tri - State Generation & Transmission Barbara A. Walz Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09765 City of Morristown, Tennessee Barbara C. Barile Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06121 Rustin Concrete Barton L. Rustin Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08227 Edison Mission Energy, LLC Basil G. Constantelos Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06154 Northern Concrete Pipe Inc Bill Washabaugh Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06026 Jack B. Parson Companies (JBP) Bob Rowberry Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02554 Trimac Dry Bulk Group, Inc. Bob Williamson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06127 Chugach Electric Association, Inc. Bradley W. Evans Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06860 Restore Painting & Waterproofing, Inc. Brenda Camacho on behalf of Norge Araniz Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06302 BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) Brendan Lowrey Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06967 Valley Ready Mix Brent Baker Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09280 Gibbco, Inc. Bruce N. Kazich Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06967 J. P. Noonan Transportation Bruce Voight Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09514 Errcive, Inc. C. Eric Ramberg Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06027 Pocatello Ready Mix C. Michael Horrocks Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05772 Walker Parking Consultants Carl L. Schneeman Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09850 Progress Energy, Inc. Caroline Choi Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04001 Coresco, LLC Carrie D. Lilly Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04001 Coresco, LLC Carrie D. Lilly Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06299 MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company (MidAmerican) Cathy S. Woollums Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06857 Constellation Energy Charlene Zaruba on behalf of Paul Allen Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08845 Grand River Dam Authority Charles J. Barney Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10574 Paramount Ready Mix Charles J. Oliver Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06300 Southern Company behalf of itself and its four subsidiaries: Alabama Power Company, Georgi a Power Company, Gulf Power Company, and Mississippi Power Company Chris M. Hobson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09639 Specialized Transport LLC Christopher D. Benna Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09432 CK Transport Chuck Kitchens Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09803 Peterson Gravel & Ready Mix, Inc. Cindy Peterson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09358 Wisconsin Public Service Connie K. Lawniczak Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09765 Dale Nash Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10189 LA Ash, Inc. Danielle King Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03743 H&K Enterprises Dave Baker Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02402 Greenleaf Environmental Services, LLC David A. Wheeler Beneficial User

## 42

Table 5A – Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10534 Triple C Concrete Inc. David Coats Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03731 Crouse Electric, Inc. David Lawrence on behalf of Paul Crouse Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06857 South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, Environmental Technical Committee David M. Comen Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09331 Texas Industries, Inc. (TXI) Operations, LP David Perkins Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03729 Ernst Concrete of Georgia David R. Ernst Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08247 Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (Cliffs) David Z. Skolasinski Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09426 Rock Transport, Inc. Dick Peterson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10205 LeGrand Johnson Construction Co. Dick Sackett Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07804 MeadWestvaco Dirk J. Krouskop Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03740 Coastal Drilling Doug Banks Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04025 Missoula Concrete Construction Douglas G. Bauer Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06155 Lifetime Composites LLC Edward J. Butteriss Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10534 Mobile Abrasives - Alabama Edward J. Serda Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09507 PSEG Power LLC and Public Service Electric and Gas Eric B. Svenson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08244 Tucson Electric Power Company Erik Bakken Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09350 ANJ Transport, Inc. F. Stephen Thomas Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06311 United Materials of Great Falls, Inc. Frances Talbot on behalf of Basil Jacobson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03887 Fred Hooper Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04047 Conco Companies - Ready Mix Division/ACME Gaylene Anderson on behalf of John Holiman Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10199 Conti Materials Service, LLC Gene Conti Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04143 Private Citizen Gene Daniel, P.E. Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10352 Harsco Minerals International, a division of Harsco Corporation Gene Iannazzo Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10543 Buckeye Aggregates, Inc. Gene M. Kiral Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06360 Dunham Price, LLC (submitted on behalf of Dunham Price by Headwaters Resources) George Thompson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10509 Graniterock Greg Diehl Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05900 Cross Creek Cattle, Inc. Greg Hayes Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04045 H.G. Fredriksen Company, Inc. H.G. Fredriksen III Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10111 Croell Redi - Mix, Inc. Harlan Taylor Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02831 JE Hill Precast Harley E. Northup Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08842 Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Henry Eby Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 00354 Pennsylvania Legislature Holly Stimely on behalf Timothy J. Solobay State Elected Official EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04145 Weber Sustainability Consulting Ivan Weber Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03930 Orangeburg Redi - Mix Concrete, Inc. J. C. Till Beneficial User

## 43

Table 5A – Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09519 Norfolk Southern Corporation James A. Hixon Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03026 Separation Technologies LLC James Bittner Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10515 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) James G. Toscas Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10530 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06398 FlyAshDirect LTD James H. Irvine Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02931 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06122 Port Aggregates, Inc. James P. Guinn Sr. Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06311 Titan America LLC James S. Willis Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09228 Dredging Inc. (doing business as) Scott's Concrete Jane E. Martin Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09424 Private Citizen Jared Sommer, Ph.D. Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08245 Institute for Policy Integrity Jason A. Schwartz Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08248 U.S. Minerals Jason D. Vukas Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08253 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10571 Geneva Rock Products, Inc. Jay H. Ritchie Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06315 ARIPPA Jeff A. McNelly Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06329 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06358 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04139 Mineral Resource Technologies, Inc. Jeffrey G. Dusseault Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06031 MBO Precast, Inc. Jeffrey Opachinski Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09885 Private Citizen Jerry Dart Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04035 Michie Corporation Jessica Michie Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06398 Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG) Jim Roewer Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09679 Joe Neason Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08223 Alabama Public Service Commission John D. Free State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08271 Simon Contractors Company John Hodge Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03741 North American Drilling John Mayfield Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10558 Belmont Aggregates, Inc. John S. Kish Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06555 Boral Material Technologies Inc. (BMTI) John Scoggan Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09639 Intermountain Power Service Corporation (IPSC) Jon A. Finlinson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 05677 Concrete Placing Company, Inc. Jon Berger Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09333 Interstate Life Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) Kathleen A. Lipp Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10568 Ferndale Ready Mix & Gravel, Inc. Keith Korthuis Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09707 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Ken Ladwig Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09728 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09739 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10489 Connecticut Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Inc. (CRMCA) Kevin Miller Trade Association

## 44

Table 5A – Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09537 Structural Rehabilitation Group, LLC Kirby L. McCleary Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09633 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06414 AspenGold Consulting, LLC Kristopher J. Johnson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07781 North Dakota Department of Health L. David Glatt State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07783 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10192 Enduracon Technologies Larry Nelson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06525 Saint - Gobain Corporation / CertainTeed Corporation Lauren P. Alterman Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06526 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06553 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06555 CertainTeed Gypsum, Inc. EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06793 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06810 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06857 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09235 Ashland Casting Solutions (Ashland) Lee R. Horvath Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06304 Earthjustice et. al. Lisa Evans Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06306 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06308 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06311 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10353 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09880 PMI Ash Technologies, LLC (PMI) Lisa I. Cooper Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04036 Offshore Express, Inc. Marcia Mann on behalf of Scott Kisilywicz Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10189 Standard Cements Materials, Inc. Mario A. Tamez Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09804 McDonald Farms Enterprises Marjorie McDonald Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 00906 LB Industrial Systems, L.L.C. Mark Konzal Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09248 F. H. Stickles & Son Inc. Mark Stickles Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06555 Private Citizen Mass Comment Campaign sponsoring organization unknown (47) Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06871 Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Melinda L. Tomaino Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06360 Structural Design Group, Inc. (SDG) Michael Davis Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07989 Gypsum Association Michael Gardner Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08211 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09829 First Energy Corporation Michael L. Horvath Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06363 Duke Energy Mike Stroben Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06382 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10495 Materials Handling and Transportation Name illegible Beneficial User

## 45

Table 5A – Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03934 Kentuckians For The Commonwealth (KFTC) Nancy L. Reinhart Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06249 Elastizell Corporation of America Ned Glysson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09423 National Council of Coal Lessors (NCCL) Nick Carter Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03470 Private Citizen Norman E. Divers Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08241 Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP on behalf of Kansas City Board of Public Utilities Parthenia B. Evans and Dennis Lane Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06298 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Paul L. Sloan State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09336 American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) Paul Noe Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03437 Edgerton Contractors, Inc. Peter Davis Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09796 Memphis Ready - Mix Phillip Palczer Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06260 Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection R. Bruce Scott State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06956 Private Citizen Rafic Minkara, Ph.D., P.E. Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06360 Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Rebecca L. Hussey State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06038 L.G. Everist, Inc. Richard A. Everist Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09534 Earth Justice, et. al. (prepared for Sierra Club, Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council) Richard C. Fortuna Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09499 Frank C. Alegre Trucking Robert A. Fowler Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08853 Nationa l Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Robert A. Garbini Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08975 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02816 Beneficial Reuse Management, LLC Robert C. Spoerri Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06917 Granite Construction Incorporated Robert Swango Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06921 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08838 RAC Brokerage, LLC Ron Carter Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08842 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02823 Partners Bulk Logistics (PBL) Ron Heller Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10556 Great Lakes Concrete Products, LLC Rosanne DiPizio Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08241 Sphere One, Inc. Ryan M. Brownhill Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03719 Liebe Trucking, Inc. Sara Liebe on behalf of Gary Liebe Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08271 USC Technologies, LLC Sarah Toevs Sullivan Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06203 Arizona Public Service Company (APS) Scott Davis Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03582 Hanson Aggregates, LLC Scott Dickson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09530 Waterkeeper Alliance Scott Edwards Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09816 Western Rock Products Scott Sidlow Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07781 Lehigh University Sean Parrott and Dr. Dork Sahagian Academia EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06384 McMahon Contracting, L.P. Shawn McMahon Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08270 Cape Cod Ready Mix Steve Berlo Beneficial User

## 46

Table 5A – Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03723 Metro Ready Mix Concrete (MRM) Steve Herron Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02874 Nagy Concrete Company Steve Simpson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08227 Revolutionary Plastics, LLC Steven G. Barringer and Tasha M. Newland, Holland & Hart LLP, on behalf of Revolutionary Plastics Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09634 Semo, Ready Mix, Inc. Steven R. Obermann Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06865 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Tangela Niemann on behalf of Mark R. Vickery State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08246 Xcel Energy Terry Coss Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 02400 Southern Illinois Motor Xpress, Inc. Terry D. Oetjen Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06202 American Coal Ash Association (ACAA) Thomas H. Adams Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04038 KMR Concrete, Inc. Tim Fletcher Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08845 Lehigh Hanson Inc. Timothy L. Matz Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03313 Mathis - Akins Concrete Block Co. Inc Tina Sheffield Kuncaitis Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08380 Airplaco Equipment Company Todd Ferguson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08785 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06865 State of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Todd M. Wallace State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06028 Kanta Products, Inc. Tom Kanta Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06011 Public Service Commission (PSC) - State of North Dakota Tony Clark State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04335 Intermountain Construction & Materials Tony Clobes Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09280 Sidney Red - E - Mix, Inc. Travis Peterson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06302 Verle C. Martz Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06304 NRG Energy Inc. Verne Shortell Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10500 Town of Holly, Colorado Viola Melcher Local Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06019 Metro Ready Mix W. Ryan Skidmore Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10161 Lexington Concrete and Block Watt Ervin Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10173 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09886 Eutaw Construction Company, LLC William E. Cox Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09316 The Society for Protection Coatings (SSPC) William Shoup Trade Association



## Table 5B – Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10614_DC - 028 National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Alicia Oman Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10681_DC - 069 American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) Amy E. Schaffer Trade Association

## 47

Table 5B – Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11291_CHI - 005 Wisconsin Electric Power Company d/b/a We Energies Art Covi Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10780_DA - 011 Luminant Barry Boswell Electric Utility TRANS - DEN - 0032 Colorado Ready Mixed Concrete Association Bernie Cawley Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11496_L - 077 Bill Chlebowy Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10836_DA - 066 Headwaters Resources Bill Gehrmann Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11531_L - 102 Bobby Raia Private Citizen TRANS - LVL - 0121 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10786_DA - 017 Black Diamond Granules, Inc. Bruce Haslerud Beneficial User TRANS - CLT - 0099 Advanced Wall Technologies (AWT), LLC Carl Dudding Beneficial User TRANS - DAL - 0026 Precast Concrete Manufacturers Association of Texas Chris Lechner Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11287_CHI - 065 City Water Light & Power, Springfield, IL Christine Zeman Electric Utility TRANS - CHI - 0124 TRANS - PIT - 0073 American Bituminous Power Partners Craig Cierra Electric Utility Facility TRANS - ARL - 0058 PPL Corporation Craig Shamory Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10755_DEN - 067 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Dan Huffman Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11618_K - 032 Charah, Inc. (Charah) Danny L. Gray Beneficial User TRANS - DAL - 0092 Office of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts David Schanbacher State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11615_K - 029 Blalock Ready Mix Dennie Underwood Beneficial User TRANS - KNX - 0049 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11224_CHI - 095 Headwaters Resources, Inc. (spoke as employee) Doug Anderson Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11480_L - 057 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10776_DA - 007 Acme Brick Company Ed Watson Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10671_DC - 058 Tufts University Frank Ackerman Academia TRANS - ARL - 0075 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11319_P - 029 Ebensburg Power Company Gary Anderson Electric Utility TRANS - PIT - 0029 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11044_CHA - 079 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Gary Mullings Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10788_DA - 019 Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (Western Farmers) Gerald Butcher Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11036_CHA - 071 Southern Concrete Materials Jane Arnold Beneficial User TRANS - CLT - 0033 TRANS - CLT - 0030 Santee Cooper Jay Hudson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10842_DA - 072 NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) Jeffrey Davis Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11078_CHA - 113 North Carolina Chamber of Commerce John Goodman Trade Association TRANS - CLT - 0116 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11458_L - 034 E.ON U.S. LLC John Voyles Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10741_DEN - 053 Great River Energy (GRE) John Weeda Electric Utility

## 48

Table 5B – Comments Related to Impacts on Beneficial Use (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type TRANS - DEN - 0028 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10733_DEN - 045 Platte River Power Authority Jon Little Electric Utility TRANS - DEN - 0014 TRANS - ARL - 0125 Jonathan Barker Private Citizen TRANS - DAL - 0076 Luminant Julie Prejean Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10826_DA - 056 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Kevin Walgenbach Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11346_P - 059 Sphere One, Inc. Mark Bonne Beneficial User TRANS - DAL - 0116 American Concrete Pipe Association Matt Childs Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11557_L - 005 E.ON U.S. LLC Michael Winkler Electric Utility TRANS - DAL - 0044 CPS Energy Mike Mallone Electric Utility TRANS - DAL - 0065 Texas Coal Ash Utilization Group Mike Silvertooth Trade Association TRANS - CHI - 0108 LifeTime Composites, LLC Mike Thorpe Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10639_DC - 079 American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Nick Goldstein Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11521_L - 139 Kentucky Ready - Mixed Concrete Association (KRMCA) R. Finley Messick Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10673_DC - 060 Separation Technologies LLC and Essex Cement Randy Dunlap Beneficial User TRANS - CLT - 0011 Tampa Electric Company Randy Melton Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11264_CHI - 035 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Richard DeBoer Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11194_CHI - 025 Great River Energy (GRE) Richard Lancaster Ele ctric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10790_DA - 021 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Robert Garbini Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11716_K - 140 JEA Scott Schultz Electric Utility Facility TRANS - KNX - 0105 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11275_CHI - 047 Indiana Energy Association Stan Pinegar Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11357_P - 071 Sunbury Generation LP Teresa Copenhaver Electric Utility Facility TRANS - PIT - 0081 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11669_K - 088 American Coal Ash Association Thomas H. Adams Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11336_P - 049 Congress of the United States, House of Representatives Tim Holden, et al. [121 signatures] Federal Elected Official 

# 5 .1 Accuracy of Life Cycle Benefits Comment Summary Commenters raised several issues with EPA’s calculation of beneficial use life cycle benefits. Specifically, one commenter found that EPA incorrectly valued particulate matter reductions, double

- counted emission reductions from air rules, and therefore overestimated energy reductions from the cement and wallboard industries. That commenter further stated that EPA should have included avoided cancer risks, groundwater remediation, and

## 49

impoundment failure cleanup in its beneficial use benefits. This com m enter also suggests evaluating the transportation and storage costs of the CCR and the virgin feedstock. Commenters also found that EPA overestimated avoided disposal costs by using the incorrect disposal costs, or by confusing transfers with benefits. With respect to the quantity of beneficially used CCRs this life cycle benefit is applied to, commenters found errors in EPA’s extrapolation of beneficial use growth under the baseline, and assumption that beneficial use would increase und er the rule. Commenters also found miscellaneous errors in data, discussion, and transcription. Finally, commenters raised issues regarding subtitle C and stigma. 

# EPA Response The assessment of beneficial use impacts in the 2014 RIA includes several chang es relative to the 2010 RIA that address the concerns raised by the commenters. In particular, the beneficial use analysis in the 2014 RIA eliminates the use of the PM2.5 $/ton value and instead monetizes PM precursors NOx and SOx. Furthermore, the rule es timates emissions from avoided cement production based on emissions anticipated from the cement sector following implementation of the recent National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the portland cement sector. For a further discussion of these changes, see Section 5 and Appendix S of the 2014 RIA . Neither 2010 RIA nor 2014 RIA considered how changes in beneficial use associated with the rule affect avoided cancer risks, groundwater remediation, or impoundment failure cleanup. EPA acknowledges that this is an uncertainty of the analysis. The commenter also suggests that emission s reductions upstream from the production of virgin materials would be minimal and should be weighed against emissions created by the storage, excavation and transportation of fly ash and other CCRs when beneficially used. The Agency's beneficial use analy sis, however, does not reflect avoided impacts associated with the transportation of raw gypsum and other virgin materials from the location where they are produced to the location where they are used. Emissions associated with shipping virgin materials di splaced by CCRs are assumed to be of roughly the same magnitude as the emissions associated with transporting CCR to a beneficial use site. Based on this assumption, The RIA 's beneficial use analysis does not quantify these impacts. Similarly, emissions as sociated with the handling and storage of CCR are assumed to be similar under the baseline and policy scenarios. Thus, while upstream emissions for the production of raw materials displaced by CCR may be minimal, they would not be offset by emissions assoc iated with the handling and transport of CCR, as these latter emissions are (assumed to be) offset by other virgin material emissions not captured in the RIA 's beneficial use analysis. With respect to avoided disposal costs, EPA has estimated new disposal costs for the final rule, and thus the comment pointing out incorrect disposal costs being used in the beneficial use analysis is moot. Furthermore, to the extent that one commenter argues that avoided disposal costs are transfers, and should omit rule cos ts, EPA disagrees. When CCR is beneficially used, users of the material derive value from the cost savings associated with the avoided purchase of virgin materials. Because utilities do not realize this savings under baseline conditions, diverting CCR to b eneficial use is not merely an economic transfer.

## 50

EPA has also worked to improve its estimates of beneficial use increases under the baseline and final rule. These revised forecasts were generated using a linear programming model that took into account co nsiderations such as regional market demand and generation of dry CCRs. Discussion of the new linear programming model that EPA relied on for these estimates is located in Appendix S. Errors in data, discussion, and transcription from the 2010 RIA are no l onger relevant due to the new data, calculations, and discussion of the 2014 RIA . Finally, to the extent that commenters raised issues pertaining to subtitle C and stigma, see Section 2 of this document. 

# 5 .2 Industry - Specific Economic Data for the RIA Comm ent Summary One commenter provided industry data questioning EPA’s forecast of increasing beneficial use. Specifically the commenter provided data indicating that there was not enough concrete production to use 100% of fly ash, that engineering specificat ions make some fly ash unusable, that seasonality of fly ash demand make consistent use difficult, and that power plants are not always located near the consumers of CCRs. State commenters also provided several estimates of the savings beneficial use had i n their respective states. Commenters raised numerous arguments and examples regarding the effects of a subtitle C rule and stigma on various beneficial uses. 

# EPA Response EPA acknowledges that there are many regional and market

- specific issues that affect the amount of CCRs that can be beneficially used. However, as detailed in Appendix S of the 2014 RIA, EPA now accounts for many of these issues through the use of a linear programming model of three of the largest annual volume CCR beneficial use markets (i.e., concrete, wallboard, and structural fill) . With respect to seasonal generation, EPA notes that the revised RIA is conducted in annual time increments, and thus, this level of granularity is beyond that encompassed in the 2014 RIA . With respect to st ate comments valuing beneficial use, EPA acknowledges these beneficial use benefit estimates. However, without details about how these estimates were reached, EPA was unable to make use of them in the RIA for the final rule. With respect to comments on sub title C and stigma, see Section 2 of this document. 

# 5 .3 Future Beneficial Use Impact Scenario s Comment Summary Commenters provided views on which beneficial use scenario they felt was more appropriate, or the extent to which the scenarios were representative of future beneficial use under the regulation.

## 51 

# EPA Response See Section 2 of this response to comments document.

## 52 

# 6 .0 Comments Relating to Net Benefits The public stakeholders submitted comments relating to net benefits, which are grouped into nine subcategories: 1. Cost/Benefit scaling under subtitle D options 2. Comparison of benefits to costs

Table 6A – Comments Related to Net Benefits (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07001 Vectren Corporation Angila M. Reinerford Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08234 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Charles G. Johnson on behalf of Joe Schieffelin State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03053 Private Citizen Chris Barnes Private Citizen EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06300 Southern Company behalf of itself and its four subsidiaries: Alabama Power Company, Georgia Power Company, Gulf Power Company, and Mississippi Power Company Chris M. Hobson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06876 Tennessee Riverkeeper, Inc. David Whiteside Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08261 Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Inc. Eva Dillard Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10166 Consumers Energy Company Gary A. Dawson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08248 Institute for Policy Integrity Jason A. Schwartz Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08865 Geosyntec Consultants John Seymour Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06068 Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment John Veranth Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04142 Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Karen F. Ellis on behalf of Charles Gregory Higdon Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09765 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Ken Ladwig Trade Asso ciation EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09501 Institute for Study of Economics and the Environment, Lindenwood University Kenneth W. Chilton Academia EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08211 North Dakota Department of Health L. David Glatt State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06311 Earthjustice et. al. Lisa Evans Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06315 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08246 Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP on behalf of Kansas City Board of Public Utilities Parthenia B. Evans and Dennis Lane Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08847 Center for Progressive Reform, University of Maryland School of Law Rena Steinzor Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08784 Alabama Pulp & Paper Council Roy McAuley Trade Association

## 53 

# 6 .1 Cost/Benefits Scaling under Subtitle D Option Comment Summary Some commenters criticized the scaling factors applied to the subtitle C costs and benefits to estimate the subtitle D costs and benefits. One commenter found the scaling factors themselves to be wrong due to incorrect assumptions about state regulatory pr ograms, and provided alternative scaling factors. Another commenter stated that EPA improperly ignored the distributional effects of this scaling in states that were predicted not to adopt subtitle D regulations. Finally, one commenter found rounding and t ranscription errors which they found to lead to incorrect scaling. In some cases, commenters found misstatements and conflicting rationales that made it difficult to understand the scaling procedures used. 

# EPA Response EPA no longer uses scaling factors to estimate subtitle D costs. Instead, costs and benefits are directly estimated for the final regulatory option selected by EPA . Thus, no further response is necessary. 

# 6 .2 Comparison of Benefits to Costs Comment Summary Some commenters found that EPA improperly compared the benefits and costs of the proposed regulatory options. One commenter found the comparison improper due to a complete costing of regulatory requirements and an incomplete monetization of benefits, and p rovided several examples of benefits that were not monetized. As an alternative to monetizing these benefits, this commenter suggested that EPA analyze the benefits gap necessary to make each regulation benefit

- cost neutral. Finally, commenters made genera l statements that the comparison of benefits and costs leads to the conclusion that either subtitle C or subtitle D was the appropriate regulatory option. 

# EPA Response As described earlier in this response to comments document, EPA has revised the RIA for the final rule to reflect benefit categories beyond those estimated in the RIA for the proposal, as well as cost categories that were not originally estimated. Thus, the benefit

- cost comparisons provided in the 2014 RIA are more

Table 6B – Comments Related to Net Benefits (Public Hearings) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 11736_K - 162 Environmental Intergrity Project (EIP) Abel Russ Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10712_DEN - 024 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Joe Schieffelin State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10792_DA - 023 PMI Ash Technologies Kyle Crake Beneficial User EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10653_DC - 092 Vermont Law School Patrick Parenteau Academia TRANS - KNX - 0001 Steve Scarborough Private Citizen

## 54

complete. Furthermore, EPA has updated the calculation of costs and benefits to reflect the final regulatory option. In light of these changes, comments relating to specific costs and benefits of the formerly proposed CCR regulatory options are no longer relevant, and thus no furth er response is necessary. With respect to an analysis of the benefits “gap” suggested by one commenter, EPA notes that this calculation is unnecessary, but can easily be conducted by interested stakeholders based on the tables provided in the RIA for the final rule. To the extent that comments reflected the view that the benefit

- cost comparisons supported a specific choice of CCR regulatory option, see Section 2 of this response to comments document .

## 55 

# 7 .0 Comments Related to Supplemental Analyses The pu blic stakeholders submitted comments relating to supplemental analysis, which are grouped into nine subcategories: 1. Energy Impact Analysis: EO 13211 2. Small Business Impact Analysis: RFA/SBREFA 3. Environmental Justice Analysis: EO 12898 4. Children’s H ealth Analysis: EO 13045 5. Paperwork Reduction Act, Including Comments on ICR 6. Unfunded Mandates Analysis/UMRA 7. Federalism Analysis: EO 13132 8. Consultation/Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments: EO 13175 9. Other Comments Related to Supplemental Analyses Table 7A – Comments Related to Supplemental Analyses (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06251 We Energies Art Covi Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09337 Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Benjamin H. Grumbles State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06424 Garrett & Moore, Inc. Bernie Garrett Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09236 National Tribal Air Association (NTAA) Bill Thompson Tribal Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06867 Manufacture Alabama Blake Hardwich on behalf of Mike Conlon Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08857 Department of Electric, City of Hamilton, Ohio Charles Young Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09712 Ba sin Electric Power Cooperative (BEPC) Claire M. Olson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06297 Business Council of Alabama (BCA) David Roberson Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08270 Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (Cliffs) David Z. Skolasinski Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08220 PowerSouth Energy Cooperative Dr. Keith Stephens Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06988 Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission Floyd Gilzow State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10166 Consumers Energy Company Gary A. Dawson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06723 West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) Gary Casto on behalf of Randy C. Huffman State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06533 Empire District Electric Company George G. Thullesen Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10329 Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC) Gregory E. Conrad State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08841 Deseret Generation and Transmission Co - operative Howard Vickers Electric Utility

## 56

Table 7A – Comments Related to Supplemental Analyses (Submitted to Docket) EPA ID Organization Commenter Organization Type EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06396 National Rural Electronic Cooperative Association (NRECA) James F. Stine Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10483 Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG) et al. James R. Roewer Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08248 Institute for Policy Integrity Jason A. Schwartz Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 07791 Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GAEPD) Jim Brown for Mark Smith State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06252 Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc. (Minnkota) John T. Graves Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06722 Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC) Jonathan Oliver Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09427 San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc. (San Miguel) Joseph G. Eutizi Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06226 Pennsylvania Coal Association (PCA) Josie Gaskey Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09358 Interstate Life Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) Kathleen A. Lipp Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06849 Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) Keith Harley Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 04003 Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) Lia Parisien on behalf of John W. Mitchell State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06326 Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) Lisa D. Johnson Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06315 Earthjustice et. al. Lisa Evans Advocacy Group EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 10495 EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06190 Lafayette Utilities System Lisa G. Dowden and Steven C. Pearson Electric Utility Facility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 03936 Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) Mary T. Zdanowicz State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09237 Ohio Coal Association Michael T.W. Carey Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06446 Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative (REC), Inc. Michalene Reilly Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06398 Duke Energy Mike Stroben Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06254 Sunflower Electric Power Corporation Paul E. Reynolds Electric Utility EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06298 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Paul L. Sloan State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06384 Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Rebecca L. Hussey State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06819 Missouri Department of Natural Resources Robert Stout on behalf of Dru Buntin State Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08861 Inter - Tribal Council of Michigan Inc. Robin Clark Tribal Government EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06400 Waste Management (WM) Susan Briggum Other Company EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 09346 American Public Power Association (APPA) Theresa Pugh Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 06356 U.S. Chamber of Commerce William L. Kovacs Trade Association EPA - HQ - RCRA - 2009 - 0640 - 08230 Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy (SBA) Winslow Sargeant Federal Agency

## 57 

# 7 .1 Energy Impact Analysis: EO 13211 Comment Summary Commenters stated that a CCR rule would affect the ability for utility companies to provide reliable electric services generally due to premature boiler closures , or stated that prices to consumers would rise without providing further detail. Specifically, commenters called upon EPA to revise their energy impact analysis based on the findings of NERC (2010), the consideration of multiple EPA regulations in combination, and the ability of ratepayers to afford higher electricity prices. 

# E PA Response EPA agrees that NERC (2010) shows that the smallest impacts on energy prices and reliability are from the CCR disposal rule. However, other commenters requested that EPA consider the cumulative impacts of EPA’s various electric sector rules. I n light of these comments, the NERC (2010) findings on cumulative impacts, and the newly released EO 13563

– Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review , EPA has run the Integrated Planning Model (IPM) to estimate electricity price and reliability effects o f the CCR disposal rule in conjunction with other EPA rules. The modeled impacts of the final CCR rule on electricity prices and premature boiler closures are minimal , and can be found in Appendix X of the 2014 RIA . Finally, with respect to issues raised r egarding the subtitle C regulatory option , see Section 2 of this response to comments document. 

# 7 .2 Small Business Impact Analysis: RFA/SBREFA Comment Summary Commenters argued that EPA’s No SISNOSE determination was fatally flawed. Specifically, comment ers believe that EPA has improperly excluded affected entities and underestimated costs, which have wrongly led to a No SISNOSE determination. Commenters also stated that cost pass

- through was unlikely to occur for rural electric cooperatives. Finally, com menters argued that EPA violated the RFA /SBREFA as well as its own RFA/SBREFA guidance by not convening a small business advocacy review panel, and that such a panel should be convened. 

# EPA Response EPA disagrees with comments that large sectors of affect ed entities were improperly excluded from the small business analysis. According to EPA’s guidance on how to conduct an RFA/SBREFA analysis for RIAs (U.S. EPA, 2006) , only entities directly affected by a regulation should be considered. Here, commenters suggest a number of entities that are only indirectly affected, and thus EPA properly excluded them from the RFA/ SBREFA analysis of the RIA . To the extent that commen ters believed that EPA’s RFA/ SBREFA analysis is incomplete because EPA underestimated the costs of the rule, EPA has addressed cost - related comments in Section 3 of this response to comments document. Furthermore, to the extent that commenters were concern ed that EPA

## 58

improperly used a cost pass

- through analysis, EPA notes that the costs and benefits of the rule assumed no cost pass - through as a worst case, and only considered cost pass

- through for the electricity price impacts analysis discussed in the prev ious section of this response to comments document. With respect to the suggestions for a small business advocacy review panel, EPA notes that such a panel need only be convened if EPA’s cost estimates to small entities exceed the 1% or 3% of revenues thre sholds. Since neither the 2010 RIA nor 2014 RIA cost estimates exceeded this threshold, no further response is required. Finally, to the extent that commenter s raised small business stigma and subtitle C issues , see Section 2 of this response to comments d ocument. 

# 7 .3 Environmental Justice Analysis: EO 12898 Comment Summary Commenters provided general statements that environmental justice communities would be impacted. Additionally, some commenters pointed to specific power plants or groups of power plants as having environmental justice communities present. Further, c ommenters generally found that EPA’s environmental justice analysis was insufficient. Specifically, commenters proposed that EPA analyze specific ethnicities rather than minorities as a whole, include individuals who reported two ethnicities even when one was white, evaluate populations near off

- site disposal facilities, make use of county

- level comparisons, and correct a calculation error for poverty rate. Commenters also claimed that di sproportionate impacts would be felt in states that did not adopt a subtitle D rule , and that only a subtitle C rule would solve the environmental justice disparities currently existing. Alternatively, a couple commenters suggested that EPA evaluate the en vironmental justice implications of increased electricity prices. Finally , commenters used claims about environmental justice to justify a subtitle C or D rule. 

# EPA Response EPA revised the national environmental justice analysis of all the communities pot entially affected by this regulation. This revised analysis can be found in the 2014 RIA available in the docket. EPA acknowledges that environmental justice communities may be present at specific CCR disposal sites. However, since this rule is not a site

- specific action, EPA did not conduct a site

- specific environmental justice analysis. To the extent that particular sites pose risks to environmental justice communities, the requirements under the final rule will prevent these risks. Furthermore, site

- spec ific environmental justice issues can be taken into account during the corrective action process required for contaminated sites under today’s rule. With respect to the comment suggesting the evaluation of Latinos as “non

- white” when mixed reporting occur s, EPA agrees that the counts of “white” and “non

- white” populations would change. However, the increased numerators representing potentially affected populations would increase by the same proportions as the denominators representing state or national pop ulations. Thus, the net effect would be to arrive at the same results reported in the 2014 RIA . Thus, no further changes were made in response to this comment.

## 59

The same commenter also suggested that each ethnicity be evaluated separately, as opposed to EPA ’s approach of evaluating “non

- white” populations as a whole. EPA notes that this would result in large portions of the population with mixed reporting being double counted. Furthermore, EPA sees no reason to treat each minority differently when the final rule should be protective of all minority populations. Thus, no further changes were made in response to this comment. In response to one commenter’s desire for EPA to evaluate off

- site disposal, EPA does not have a national data set of off

- site disposal facilities receiving CCRs which could be used to conduct such an analysis. Furthermore, most CCRs that are not disposed of on

- site are either beneficially used or sent to municipal solid waste land fills . Unencapsulated beneficial uses under today’s rule will be required to post findings of their protectiveness, and municipal solid waste landfills are already subject to permitting and oversight. Thus, off

- site transport of CCRs should not pose an env ironmental justice concern. N o further changes were made in response to this comment. With respect to the commenter’s suggestion that EPA use county

- level data instead of state and nationwide data to assess minority and low income populations, this would not provide a useful comparison due to the large areas of potentially affected populations being considered relative to the size of counties. Instead, EPA continues to rely on comparisons to state and national counts in the revised environmental justice an alysis which can be found in the 2014 RIA . In response to one commenter’s finding that EPA miscalculated the poverty rate, EPA has redone the environmental justice analysis and verified that it uses a proper metric for household incomes defined as “low” as defined by U.S. Census Bureau statistics. EPA disagrees with comments that suggested environmental justice analysis should have been conducted on customer service populations . W hile EPA did not specifically look at customer service populations, these popu lations would only be adversely affected to the extent that their electricity prices were raised. However, some customers residing or working in proximity to regulated power plants could experience health and environmental benefits from the rule. EPA estim ated the potential future effect of the CCR final rule on electricity prices according to customer service regions in the IPM modeling project for the CCR final rule. However, these price impacts were minimal, as discussed in Section 7.1 of this response t o comments document. Finally, comments received citing environmental justice considerations as a rationale for choosing for or against a subtitle C rule, these comments are not related to the environmental justice analysis in the RIA, and EPA refers commen ters to Section 2 of this response to comments document. 

# 7 .4 Children’s Health Analysis: EO 13045 Comment Summary Commenters raised general complaints that coal ash was affecting children’s health without pointing to any specific issues. 

# EPA Response No response necessary.

## 60 

# 7 .5 Paperwork Reduction Act and Comments on ICR Comment Summary Commenters found that EPA’s use of a 2009 ICR mail survey of the electric utility industry to identify CCR surface impoundments was overly broad. 

# EPA Response EPA does not find these comments to be directly relevant to the 2010 RIA. However, to the extent that the 2010 RIA and 2014 RIA evaluate CCR impoundments that may not be subject to the rule, EPA notes that this will result in a conservative cost estimate. Further definition of the types of entities and CCR management units subject to the CCR final rule is available in EPA’s 2015 Federal Register notice for the CCR final rule. 

# 7 .6 Unfunded Mandates Analysis/UMRA Comment Summary Commenters asked EPA to eval uate all comments under UMRA. Commenters also stated that the regulation comprises an unfunded mandate due to regulatory oversight burdens as well as increased electricity costs to states. Furthermore, commenters found funding from the F ederal government i nadequate to meet these increased costs. 

# EPA Response The threshold for triggering UMRA is $100 million in costs to state, local and tribal governments in aggregate or to the private sector. Both the 2010 RIA and the 2014 RIA found that while the costs to state, local, and tribal governments was below this threshold, the private sector costs exceeded $100 million annually. Thus, EPA has provided the required written statement to OMB and the Federal Register to address the five issues enumerated in UMRA. No further response is necessary. 

# 7 .7 Federalism Analysis: EO 13132 Comment Summary Several commenters claim that reporting requirements are an enormous burden in light of the declining funding to state government s. Commenters also presented claims that st ate programs are adequate as justification of a subtitle D alternative. 

# EPA Response According to EPA guidance, costs to state and local governments that exceed $25 million or 1% of annual revenues are considered “substantial.” The RIA for the proposed rule found these costs to be above the $25 million threshold but below the 1% threshold, and furthermore found that a substantial portion of these costs could be passed on to electricity consumers. However, because EPA found that there may be

## 61

a substantial cost to state and local governments, EPA included a discussion of the F ederalism impacts in the proposed rule and conducted consultations with the following “Big 10” entities:  National Governors’ Association  National Conference of Legislatures  Council of State Governments  National League of Cities  U.S. Conference of Mayors  National Association of Counties  International City/County Management Association  National Association of Towns and Townships  County Executives of America  Environmental Council of States Costs to state and local governments have been revised in the 2014 RIA to account for the final regulatory option . These costs continue to be above $25 million and below 1% of revenues. With respect to state programs and the choice of a subtitle D final rule, EPA does not find these comments to be related to the analyses conducted in the RIA. However, further discussion on that issue is available in EPA’s Federal Register notice for the CCR final rule. 

# 7 .8 Consultation/Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments: EO 13175 Comment Summary Commenters disagreed with EPA’s finding that Executive Order 13175 does not apply to this rulemaking on the grounds that while tribes did not own the affected entities, tribal lands could be affected. Documentation w as also submitted about specific instances where tribes alleged such effects. As a result, commenters requested that EPA consult with tribes. Finally, commenters requested that EPA not issue a subtitle D rule due to problems with enforcement on tribal land s. 

# EPA Response EPA disagrees that Executive Order 13175 was violated. As pointed out by commenters, no affected entities (i.e., electric utility plants) are owned by tribes. Furthermore, the fact that independent third

- parties are affecting tribal lands i s not a result of EPA’s proposed CCR rule , but instead will be ameliorated by its implementation.

## 62

With respect to consultation, Executive Order 13175 does not require consultation. While EPA has released a guidance concerning tribal consultation, this was not finalized at the time of the June 2010 proposed rule, and thus it would not have been applicable. With respect to issues relating to enforcement and the choice of a subtitle D rule, these are not related to the RIA. However, further discussion on that issue is available in EPA’s Federal Register notice for the CCR final rule. 

# 7 .9 Other Comments on Supplemental Analyses Comment Summary Several commenters suggest that EPA consider the effects of the rule on jobs, productivity, and competitiveness. Two commenters specifically find that EPA ’s failure to conduct a jobs evaluation for the proposed rule was improper. Another commenter disagrees that such an analysis was required in this instance. 

# EPA Response EPA does not agree with the comments suggesti ng that a jobs analysis should have been conducted for the proposed rule. As pointed out by the environmental commenters, 42 U.S.C. § 6966(e) does not explicitly require jobs analysis of proposed rules as suggested by one of the industry commenters. Furthe rmore, the fact that alternative cost estimates suggested by the commenter may have triggered a jobs analysis by exceeding 0.25 % of GDP does not change the fact that EPA’s best estimate of the costs associated with the highest cost regulatory option of the 2010 proposed rule was below this threshold. Thus, EPA properly did not evaluate jobs, productivity, and competitiveness. Although EPA did not evaluate the job impacts of the 2010 proposed rule, EPA conducted a semi

- quantitative jobs analysis for the CCR final rule which has been included as Appendix X of the 2014 RIA to further address commenters’ concerns.

## 63 

# 8 .0 References NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation). 2010. Special Reliability Scenario Assesment: Potential Resource Adequacy Impacts of U.S. Environmental Regulations . Princeton, NJ 08540. October 5. Available online at: www.poweracrosstexas.org/wp

- content/uploads/2011/04/NERC

EPA

- Sc enario.pdf U.S. EPA ( Environmental Protection Agency ). 20 06 . EPA’s Action Development Process. Final Guidance for EPA Rulewriters: Regulatory Flexibility Act as amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act . Washington, DC . November 30 . Available online at: www.epa.gov/rfa/documents/Guidance

- RegFlexAct.pdf