Whether the Anne Arundel County Council will vote tonight to ban coal fly ash dumping could depend on who gives the best argument.
“It is very fluid, and questions answered Monday night will determine how the vote goes,” Republican Council Chairman Ronald Dillon Jr. said Sunday.
The council has the bill, which bans dumping the coal-combustion by-product anywhere in the county, on its agenda, but the Maryland Department of the Environment is asking the vote be postponed until Oct. 1. However, County Executive John R. Leopold and county Health Officer Frances Phillips said last week the bill must pass Monday for safety reasons.
Poisonous heavy metals in the fly ash leached into dozens of wells near two mines in Gambrills. This incident was the impetus behind Leopold introducing the bill before the council.
MDE Secretary Shari Wilson issued a statement Friday providing the details of what Constellation Energy and BBSS Mining must do to fix the problem, including a mandate halting fly ash dumping.
MDE plans to reach an agreement with Constellation Energy and BBSS Mining on how to clean the site Oct. 1.
MDE?s request has complicated the issue and split the council on delaying the vote.
“MDE said dumping is going to stop at the site, so I see between now and Oct. 1 no impact the bill would have at all on fly ash going into the ground in this county,” Dillon said.
Republican Councilman Ed Reilly said he supports the bill, but is undecided whether to postpone the vote.
“I could only see holding the vote if we want a second bite at the different people involved,” Reilly said. “But I want to move this bill as quickly as possible.”
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at 44 Calvert St. in Annapolis.
