The use of coal fly ash, which has been linked to well water contamination in Gambrills, may soon be illegal to use in Anne Arundel.
County Executive John Leopold is drafting an emergency bill that would prohibit the material that has been blamed for leaching cancer-causing heavy metals into 23 wells in western Anne Arundel.
“We?re talking about an immediate halt in spreading the plume of carcinogens in our drinking water,” Leopold said.
Between October and April, the county Department of Health surveyed several wells around a property owned by Constellation Energy and found most had levels of metals such as aluminum, arsenic and lead that exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.
One well had twice the amount of arsenic, which is used in rat poison and weed killers, allowed by the EPA.
“The good news is that future use will be restricted, since a good portion of our county residents rely on well water,” said Councilman James Benoit, D-Crownsville, who represents Gambrills.
Officials at Constellation Energy could not be reached Tuesday.
The desire toend fly ash use also comes as the county looks to trim its cancer mortality rate, which is above the state and national averages.
“Our study [of the Gambrills wells] demonstrates how harmful fly ash can be to our environment and to our drinking water,” county Health Officer Frances Phillips said.
Leopold?s bill would ask the Maryland Department of the Environment to list coal fly ash as a hazardous material.
It does not reprimand or address past use, which is allowed under state regulations.
“That?s still an open issue,” Benoit said.
AT A GLANCE
Coal fly ash is a byproduct of the coal-burning process used by utility companies. It essentially is pulverized coal that was not captured during the combustion process.
It typically is used for infilling and as an additive to asphalt, concrete or cement.
Source: Federal Highway Administration
ON THE NET
For more information on the Gambrills wells investigation, visit:
aacounty.org/DPW/Resources/WestCoGroundwater.pdf
