Austin partner Ali Abazari, as Counsel for the Texas CCP Coalition, will open the 2020 Coal Combustion Residuals Conference on Monday, August 10, 2020, with an update on the proposed amendments to and upcoming compliance deadlines for the Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Rule. The presentation will also cover the latest state initiatives to obtain program approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Established by EPA in 2015, the CCR Rule requires the safe disposal of coal ash from coal-fired power plants. Regulations include technical standards that prevent contamination in groundwater and the air and the failure of coal ash surface impoundments.

Presented by EUCI, the 2020 Coal Combustion Residuals Conference will also feature insights about power generators’ ash closure plans, impacts of groundwater monitoring and remediation, safety, and how utilities are accomplishing closures, and more. In addition to closure and remediation work, there will also be discussion on the beneficial reuse of ash taken from impoundments.

For questions related to the CCR Rule and environmental compliance, please contact Ali Abazari at aabazari@jw.com.

Meet Ali

Ali Abazari focuses his practice on environmental permitting and compliance assistance, defense of environmental enforcement actions, and environmental aspects of real estate and corporate transactions. Over the past 20 years, he has participated in the drafting and development of environmental laws and regulations at the state and federal levels, including legislative and regulatory requirements for the management of CCRs, carbon capture and sequestration, and related matters. Prior to Jackson Walker, Ali was an attorney in the Litigation Division of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) where he represented TCEQ in administrative enforcement matters, and also provided guidance to the various TCEQ remediation programs, including the petroleum storage tank, corrective action and voluntary cleanup programs.