A new Michigan law imposes an annual $13,000 fee on coal ash disposal operators—a perpetual cost most facility owners haven't heard about yet.
Most Michigan manufacturers who operate or own coal combustion residuals disposal sites don't yet realize that a new state law has quietly created a recurring $13,000 annual obligation they'll face for as long as their license remains active.
That provision is buried in HB6429, which amends Michigan's solid waste rules. While the bill's title focuses broadly on coal combustion residuals, the fee structure—found in Section 11596(7), new Subpart 12—introduces a compliance cost that goes beyond the traditional one-time permit application.
Under HB6429, any owner or operator of a coal combustion residuals landfill or impoundment must pay two separate fees:
Upfront: A $13,000 application fee when you apply for or renew your license.
Recurring: A $13,000 annual fee due every year on the anniversary of your license issuance—for as long as the license remains in effect.
This is not a one-time cost. It's a perpetual annual obligation. If your facility operates for 20 years, you'll pay $260,000 in annual fees alone, on top of the initial application fee.
The fee applies to any facility that disposes of coal combustion residuals—the ash, slag, and other byproducts from coal-fired power plants. In Michigan, this primarily affects:
If your operation doesn't involve coal ash disposal, this doesn't apply. But if it does, the annual fee is mandatory and begins immediately upon enactment of the law.
HB6429 became effective upon enactment. The $13,000 annual fee is due on each anniversary of your license issuance date thereafter. If you already hold a coal ash disposal license, your first annual fee payment will be due on the anniversary of that license's issuance.
For facilities with active coal ash disposal licenses, this creates a new, predictable line item in annual compliance costs. Unlike one-time permitting fees, this recurring obligation doesn't end when your initial permit does—it continues as long as you operate the facility and hold the license.
Facilities should:
The fee is straightforward in structure but significant in cumulative impact. It's the kind of provision that doesn't make headlines but reshapes facility economics over time.
Source: Michigan HB6429, Section 11596(7), new Subpart 12; effective upon enactment.