A Baltimore law firm filed a class-action Wednesday against Constellation Energy for the power company?s coal fly ash contaminating several wells with heavy metals.
Murphy and Falcon P.A. is representing a group of Gambrills residents seeking an undetermined amount of money from Constellation Energy. Former Prince George?s County Executive Wayne Curry is one of the firm?s attorneys working on the case.
“What this $19-billion dollar a year energy giant continues to do to this community is blatantly unconscionable,” Curry said in a news release. “To add insult to injury, they told this community for years that dumping fly ash in an old mine site was actually beneficial.”
The complaint, which was filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court, wants compensation for the contamination, a health monitoring program, permanent connection to the public water system, air and water monitoring programs.
No monetary figure was listed in the complaint, as the court will determine the amount.
Constellation Energy spokesman Kevin Thornton said Thursday that the company does not comment on litigation.
The complaint stems from years of fly ash dumping at two mines near the Villages of Waugh Chapel shopping center. The dumping began in the mid-1990s, but was halted earlier this year when Anne Arundel County health officials reported over 20 wells with high levels of arsenic, aluminum and cadmium.
The Maryland Department of the Environment fined Constellation Energy, which produced the fly ash at its Brandon Shores power plant, and mine owner BBSS, Inc $1 million and ordered the clean up of the site. Since then, Constellation Energy has provided public water connections to affected homes.
BBSS and MDE are not listed in the complaint.
Signs of contamination were first noticed in 1999, but levels dropped in 2004, according to MDE. In October 2006, the levels soared again, and Constellation Energy notified county and state officials.
There will be a news conference today at the home of Gayle Queen, the Gambrills resident listed on the complaint. The news conference will be held at 1:30 p.m. at 2401 Queen Mitchell Road.
