Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law the use of coal ash and other industrial byproducts in cement and asphalt, according to Businessweek.
The ash is a byproduct of coal combustion that poses environmental threats in landfills but also is commonly recycled for use in roads and parking lots. The laws signed last month shield people and businesses that store byproducts with beneficial uses from legal liability if they follow rules pertaining to storage.
Snyder states that the laws will lessen economic waste disposal costs and support the environment. Democrats who voted against the legislation counter that the environment and residents are at risk. However, Republicans state that coal ash can be safely encapsulated.
