Midwest power plants face shutdown if EPA denies unlined coal ash ponds
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Three midwest power plants owned by Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT), ArcLight Capital and AEP's Ohio Valley Electric could face early shutdowns after the Environmental Protection Agency proposed denying requests to continue dumping coal ash in unlined ponds, UtilityDive reports.

Facilities affected by the proposed denials are Alliant's 725 MW Ottumwa plant in Iowa, ArcLight's 2,600 MW Gavin plant in Ohio, and Ohio Valley Electric's 1,300 MW Clifty Creek plant in Indiana.
Without deadline extensions, the owners of the plants say they would stop operating the facilities.
According to the report, the EPA also tentatively determined that four out of 57 applications to extend the deadline for meeting its coal ash requirements were incomplete.
The plants affected by incomplete applications were Ameren's (NYSE:AEE) 975 MW Sioux Energy Center and 540 MW Meramec power plant in Missouri, as well as plants in Illinois and Michigan.
Once the EPA issues final decisions, the owners of the seven plants will have 135 days to stop placing coal ash in the impoundments.
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