Arizona utilities seek state, not federal, regulation of ash

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona lawmakers are advancing legislation backed by utilities to have state regulators, not their federal counterparts, regulate disposal of toxic ash produced by coal-fired power plants. The bill would shift the regulatory duty from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. A bill already narrowly approved by the state House last month was endorsed Wednesday by a Senate committee. If the bill remains unchanged, passage by the full Senate would send it to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. The legislation is being considered as the Biden administration has begun taking enforcement actions that signal a shift from the Trump administration’s loosening of regulations.