tpo 41 regulation rules for handling coal ash

Based on the given material, the lecturer, as well as the reading passage, discuss the regulation rules for handling and storing coal ash which contains potentially harmful chemicals for the environment. The reading passage states that currents rules are quite sufficient. That being said, the lecturer provides three reasons to repudiate this claim. First, the writer says that current regulations, such as requiring companies to use liner materials, prevent contamination by coal ash. On the other hand, the lecturer declares that companies use liner material in new landfill or new pond. Still, at old landfill and pond, the harmful chemicals from coal ash leaked into groundwater and contaminated drinking water. So more strict rules are needed to prevent environmental damage at all coal ash disposal sites. Second, the author asserts that stricter rules might discourage the recycling of coal ash into other products, such as concrete and bricks, owing to the fact that consumers may think that these products are too dangerous. Yet again, the speaker explains that recycling other dangerous material such as Mercury has been taking place for 50 years. So people would not be afraid to buy recycled products by establishing more strict rules for handling and storing coal ash. The final point of contention between the reading passage and the lecture is that stricter new regulations would cause noticeable increases in disposal cost for companies and would increase the price of electricity. So people would not be happy with these rules. However, the lecturer says that the increased price will be worthwhile. Though the cost for companies is about 50 billion dollars, the amount of increased cost for each bill will be one percent of the bill.