(MI) The Detroit News - Americans have been burning coal for electricity for roughly 130 years with little understanding of what the process leaves behind. But before the end of the year, the federal government will decide whether the leftover ash from the coal-burning process should be considered a hazardous substance.

That decision is likely to have repercussions throughout Michigan, touching on everything from consumer wallets to the quality of the water they drink. Power companies could be forced to abandon their coal ash landfill sites, or retrofit them or even start from scratch with new property acquisitions and storage solutions. And if the federal government mandates such changes for the way the industry handles the roughly 130 million tons of coal ash produced annually, companies will likely pass those increased costs on to ratepayers. More