State officials have issued a “significant penalty” to the mining company responsible for contaminating wells in Gambrills with cancer-causing coal fly ash ? and ordered them to correct the problem.
“We have issued [BBSS Inc.] a corrective order asking them to make certain revisions in [its] process,” said Robert Ballinger, Maryland Department of the Environment spokesman.
BBSS has 60 days to comply, or MDE will take the company to court, he said.
BBSS is blamed for the high levels of metals found in about 20 wells around Gambrills earlier this year. The metals are linked to coal fly ash, a material used to fill in mines so land can be redeveloped.
BBSS officials could not be reached for comment.
Ballinger said he could notgive more details about the order, as MDE is negotiating with BBSS on the terms of the agreement. But MDE will look at the contamination and runoff in [email protected] t area and review BBSS?s dumping process, Ballinger said.
This is the first corrective order issued to BBSS in recent years, Ballinger said.
Through a spokeswoman, Anne Arundel County Health Officer Frances Phillips said she had no comment because she had not received information from MDE. However, Phillips wants to know what kind of remedy MDE has for the wells already contaminated.
Earlier this month, County Executive John R. Leopold announced a bill banning the use of fly ash in the county. The material is in popular use in concrete and asphalt mixtures, and is used by the State Highway Administration. The bill has yet to be introduced to the County Council.
Councilman James Benoit, D-Crownsville, who represents Gambrills, said MDE?s action shows how serious the state is about the fly ash contamination.
“My hope is that the operator is made to pay for public water for those with wells infected by the fly ash operation,” he said.
