Construction groups cheered the House’s passage of a bill that would codify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recent designation of coal ash as a non-hazardous material.

The House approved a measure on July 22 that would ensure that EPA maintains its designation of coal ash as a “solid waste” under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

EPA in December 2014 released a final rule that set minimum standards for disposing of coal ash, a by-product of coal combustion. But the agency stopped short of designating the material as “hazardous,” which would have triggered more stringent enforcement mechanisms under RCRA.

Environmental organizations continue to push to have coal ash designated as hazardous.

But construction and business groups contend that a hazardous designation would effectively end recycling of coal ash into concrete, brick and other building materials.

James Toscas, Portland Cement Association president and CEO, in a statement said the House bill “does the right thing” in ensuring that recycling of coal ash continues. “Every year we recycle more than 17 million tons of coal ash into concrete,” he added.

Although the bill easily passed the House by a 258-166 vote, it faces little chance of becoming law. There has been no Senate action yet on a comparable measure. President Obama has threatened to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.