CHANGE MY LOCATION
Anne Arundel exec calls for longer coal fly ash ban
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold wants to extend by one year the ban on dumping coal fly ash, a material that has contaminated wells and sparked political controversy.
“This is the right course of action to take. I am very concerned about the long-term effects fly ash dumping poses to county residents and our environment,” Leopold said in a statement.
He has introduced legislation that would extend the ban until October 2009.
The current ban will end this October.
The ban was a result of well contamination in Gambrills after the ash used to reclaim two former gravel pits leached into the water table.
Constellation Energy, which owns the ash, had stopped dumping fly ash prior to the ban and now is shipping tons of the material to Virginia. Some of the ash is produced by power plants in Anne Arundel.
The ban prohibits any dumping of fly ash, which requires a state permit.
County officials have battled with the state government on tougher regulations and reimbursing Anne Arundel for helping in the fly ash investigation.
Comments from Examiner Readers
6:09 AM MST on Sat., Aug. 2, 2008 re: "Anne Arundel could extend ban on coal fly ash dumping"
Report as inappropriate
6:44 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 27, 2007
re: "Elevated aluminum levels in Gambrills raise health concerns"
Report as inappropriate
2:21 AM MST on Thu., Dec. 20, 2007
re: "State’s fly-ash crackdown part of national effort"
Report as inappropriate
1:20 PM MST on Tue., Nov. 6, 2007
re: "Fly ash no longer allowed in AA"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
Should children play outside in the surrounding properties from the fly ash dumping grounds ?
1 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
hey smart guy.....can you point out where in the article mercury is mentioned? since you seem to be an expert in everything should only take you a nanosecond.
158 agree | 163 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
The EPA needs a push to get it started every morning.The Administrator has just denied California's request for a waiver to enforce it's own new law limiting pollutants in that State. Mercury is only one of the heavy metals contained in fly-ash.Arsenic and sellenium and cadmium and aluninum all leach out of these unlined waste dumps.These all cause neurologic damage.
159 agree | 142 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Do Constellation Energy and government officials plan to pay for fly ash clean up in Northern AA County?
179 agree | 191 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree