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On April 17, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated national minimum criteria for existing and new coal combustion residuals (CCR) landfills and existing and new CCR surface impoundments. On August 21, 2018, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in the case of Utility Solid Waste Activities Group, et al v. EPA. On October 15, 2018, the court issued its mandate, vacating certain provisions of the 2015 final rule. On March 3, 2020, the EPA proposed a number of revisions and flexibilities to the CCR regulations. In particular, the EPA proposed the following revisions: (1) Procedures to allow facilities to request approval to use an alternate liner for CCR surface impoundments; (2) Two co-proposed options to allow the use of CCR during unit closure; (3) An additional closure option for CCR units being closed by removal of CCR; and (4) Requirements for annual closure progress reports. The EPA has since taken final action on one of the four proposed issues. Specifically, on November 12, 2020, the EPA issued a final rule that would allow a limited number of facilities to demonstrate to the EPA that based on groundwater data and the design of a particular surface impoundment, the unit has and will continue to have no probability of adverse effects on human health and the environment. (This final rule was covered under RIN 2050-AH11. See "Additional Information" section.) The present rulemaking would consider taking final action on the remaining proposed issues.