Deal requires ferry to stop ash dumping in 2 years

(AP) The nation's last operating coal-fired steamship will stop dumping waste ash into Lake Michigan within two years under a deal with federal regulators announced Friday.

Lake Michigan Carferry operates the S.S. Badger, which hauls passengers, vehicles and cargo across the lake between Ludington, Mich., and Manitowoc, Wis.

The ship discharges around 500 tons of coal ash during each sailing season, which runs from May to October.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had given the company until last December to stop the practice. Under a consent agreement filed in federal court, the company will do so after the 2014 season and devise a system to store the ash onboard until it can be deposited onshore.

There will be a 30-day period for public comment on the proposed deal.