Indiana has more than 100 coal ash sites − more than any other state − and state officials are looking to create a permitting program for the hazardous waste just as the federal government is proposing to roll back cleanup requirements.

The program would be one of the few in the country mandating utilities apply for a permit to dispose of and manage coal combustion residuals in what are known as impoundments or ponds.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management on June 26 applied to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, asking for approval to oversee disposal and management of the waste power plants create after they burn coal to produce electricity.

Coal ash contains pollutants such as arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury and other heavy metals linked to cancer, heart disease and reproductive failure. These hazardous substances can contaminate groundwater and blow around as dust if utilities do not properly dispose of them.

Since 2015, the EPA has set federal requirements for proper disposal and management of coal ash, adding regulations in 2024. IDEM’s application would shift oversight responsibility for coal ash dumps from the federal government to the state.

But as the request wends its way through the approval process, questions remain about how protective a program would be as the Trump administration rolls back safeguards for human health and the environment near coal ash disposal sites.

Indiana to be early adopter of coal ash permits

Gov. Mike Braun said in a news release dated June 30 that Indiana is taking early and decisive action to create the permitting program.

Only five other states (Georgia, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming) have created coal ash permit programs of their own. Two others (Virginia and Louisiana) have similar applications pending with the EPA.

Brian Wolff, the assistant commissioner for IDEM’s Office of Land Quality, said he and others at the state agency have worked with staff at EPA to help ensure the application’s success.

“We are not flying blind,” Wolff said, “we are fairly confident within three months we will at least have a notification the application is complete and accepted and put up for public comment.”

The program, if accepted, would be the largest in the country due to the sheer number of coal ash sites in Indiana, Wolff said.

“We have a lot of coal facilities but then a lot of them have multiple impoundments. And each one has to get its own permit issuance for closure,” Wolff said.

If the application proves successful, the permitting program will have nine full-time employees with support from other branches within the department. Fees for the coal ash site permits and other certifications will fund the program, according to IDEM’s application.

Federal changes concern local advocates

The process to get the application completed began with a 2021 bill requiring IDEM to make rules around coal ash permitting in the state. IDEM’s Environmental Rules Board gave the green light in December 2025 and the department sent its application at the end of June 2026.

Indra Frank, coal ash advisor with the Hoosier Environmental Council, has been following the process from the beginning and has some concerns.

Frank said she is keeping an eye on the federal changes EPA is proposing to coal ash requirements that could affect Indiana’s program.

Indiana law says IDEM cannot create rules for coal ash that are more stringent than federal rules. Federal law doesn’t allow states to create rules less stringent than federal regulations, so the potential state-run program will follow EPA’s guidance.

“Right now, the federal rule is in good shape: it has provisions in place that protect human health and environment,” Frank said. “The problem will come as EPA has proposed some really lousy provisions to the rule and if they go ahead and move forward, then Indiana will also have those provisions.”

The specifics of how federal changes might affect a state program are still unclear.

Federal change could create a weird patchwork of regulations for a while before the situation solidifies, which may frustrate residents near these coal ash sites who are eager for intervention, said Gavin Kearney, an attorney with the national advocacy group Earthjustice.

“Imagine a concerned community trying to figure out what a permit is actually trying to do and who is responsible for it,” Kearney said. “It adds up to a lot of confusion and makes it hard for folks to understand if their water is being protected and what to do to address those concerns.”

IDEM’s Wolff said if EPA approves the state program, the permits will offer some stability even if federal rules change once more in the future.

“Once we issue permits for closures (of a coal ash site), it’s kind of locked in to conform to the requirements within the permit,” Wolff said. “That kind of takes you away from the shifting winds of politics however it swings.”

IDEM would likely have to adopt a rule change if certain federal proposals do move forward, said agency spokesperson Allen Carter. That would be a routine process and would not interrupt the permitting program while changes are under review.

Public still has opportunity to provide input

The EPA has up to 180 days to review IDEM’s application. If approved, it will go through a hearing process with public comment.

Earthjustice’s Kearney said the EPA has shown an interest in expediting state-run coal ash permitting programs and the process is likely to move quickly.

IDEM’s Wolff also was optimistic EPA would turnaround the application quickly, estimating a decision could come early next year since the state agency worked closely with EPA to provide all the necessary information.

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on BlueSky or Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Twyla Jo Sprunger, 76, of Berne, Indiana, passed away Sunday morning, July 12, 2026, at Swiss Village in Berne, Indiana.

She was born on February 12, 1950, in Decatur, Indiana, to the late David W. and Verna Louise (Nussbaum) Sprunger.

Twyla was a member of the First Mennonite Church in Berne, Indiana, where she helped in the Children’s Church and in the Chancel Choir.

Twyla was a 1969 graduate of South Adams High School. She began her working career with Adams Wells Training Center in Vera Cruz, then Berco in Berne, EP Graphics for 23 years, DRG for 5 years, and the Edelweiss Flower Shop for 15 years.

In her spare time, she loved reading and completing cross-stitching. Twyla truly cherished spending time with family and friends.

Survivors include her sister, Ruth (Von) Bixler of Decatur, Indiana; sister, Judie (Terry) Fralick of Convoy, Ohio; sister, Jean Sprunger of Berne, Indiana; brother, Rick (Sue) Sprunger of Berne, Indiana; seven nieces and nephews, Bobbi (Robert) Reichhart, Kristina (Phil) Kunes, Nathan Sprunger, Amanda (Andrew) Caffee, Loree (Kyle) Sprunger, Tim (Katie) Fralick, and Jon (Amanda) Fralick; and twelve great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by an infant brother, Wayne Sprunger.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 16, 2026, in the chapel at the First Mennonite Church in Berne, Indiana, with Pastor Jim Schwartz officiating. Burial will follow in M.R.E. Cemetery in Berne.

Family and friends will be received one hour prior to service at the church.

Preferred memorials may be given to The Hope Clinic or Stillwater Hospice.

Arrangements by Zwick & Jahn Funeral Homes, Yager-Kirchhofer Chapel of Berne, Indiana

The WNBA on NBC will kick off “Sunday Night Basketball” on July 12, when the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces face the league’s top television attraction, the Indiana Fever. (9 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock).