Leopold Asks O'malley To Delay Landfill Site

Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold has asked Gov. Martin O'Malley to delay the construction of a proposed fly-ash landfill site in Southeast Baltimore, citing the landfill's proximity to the county and its ban on fly ash

Leopold, who banned fly-ash and coal combustion byproducts in 2007 after the discovery that fly-ash dumping in Gambrills quarries was causing drinking water contamination, asked O'Malley to await the Maryland Department of the Environment's compliance with new emission standards governing the transportation of coal combustion byproducts.

The letter, dated Sept. 1, said the site would accept over 4 million cubic yards of coal byproducts over its lifetime. The site is located less than 1,000 feet from the county line and near the waters of Swann Creek.

"I believe the state of Maryland must move with extreme caution in allowing any further placement of these materials, especially with respect to any proposed site that is in close proximity to the waters of our state," Leopold said in the letter.

Shaun Ademac, a spokesman for the governor, said recent state regulations cover the safe disposal of coal byproducts like fly ash, and are "protective of public health and the environment." A Baltimore judge approved last year a $54 million class action settlement with a subsidiary of Constellation Energy for dumping billions of gallons of fly ash in Gambrills.