One f the principal responsibilities of the U. S. Department of Energy is the encouragement of the use of coal as a principal fuel by the utility and industrial sectors of the U. S. economy. Combustion residues form coal-fired facilities are currently exempted from the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which requires to promulgate regulations for the disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. This exemption for combustion residues is pending subject to further study by EPA as to their hazard, and the costs ad benefits associated with their control.