Gambrills Residents Worry About Pollutant

March 18th, 2008 Categories: Crofton News

I find it a little curious that the same Legislature which banned cigarettes in restaurants and work places statewide rejected proposed legislation requiring some “fixes” for fly ash contamination. Do they really feel an hour or two of second hand exposure to cigarette smoke (by choice, since no one has to go into a restaurant where smoking takes place) is a greater hazard to one’s health and well-being than contaminated water for drinking, cooking, laundering and bathing? After all, a family with contaminated well water has no choice - they are affected 24/7.

Yet the Fly Ash Bill proposed by Delegate Mary Rosso which would have required owners of coal-burning power plants to follow strict guidelines for fly ash disposal was voted down 16-2 by the Maryland House Environmental Matters Committee earlier this month. Apparently the Energy Lobby was very persuasive with its report about award-winning fly ash recycling! Or…

Perhaps this matter just doesn’t concern lawmakers who live in other areas, since they and their families are presumably not at risk. On the other hand, it certainly DOES concern anyone using well water which could be contaminated by BGE/Constellation Energy’s 12-year practice of discarding waste in unlined pits in Gambrills, Maryland.

According to a study released in January, fly ash was also found in dust at homes in Gambrills. This raises additional questions about the impact of fly ash on residents who don’t rely on well water, especially since the samples were taken a month after operations ceased at the plant.

I don’t know anything more than what appears in the newspapers, and we all have our own doubts about reliability of the press. Presumably I’m not affected because my home has public water, yet the name “Erin Brokavich” comes to mind. Is the sequel to that unfolding in nearby Gambrills?

Constellation Energy was sued in this water contamination controversy by seven Gambrills homeowners, claiming their water supplies have been damaged. I will be following this case to see where the evidence goes because I’m concerned about property values, as well as the people at risk. I can’t help wondering if there is any link between the fly ash issue and remarkably lower sales statistics in Gambrills than neighboring areas. Could it be mere coincidence? I won’t draw any conclusions - just present the statistical data (does not include any new construction, unless it was listed and reported on mls):

21113 Overview - copyright mwoda

Crofton Real Estate - copyright mwoda

Gambrills Real Estate - copyright mwoda

Odenton and Gambrills are adjacent to Gambrills; also of interest may be the overall County sales statistics for February:

Anne Arundel County - copyright mwoda

Emergency legislation was enacted in Anne Arundel County to ban fly ash disposal a few months ago, but it is a short-term measure. Let’s hope serious discussions are ongoing to resolve this in a manner which will protect the residents of Gambrills and their property values. Who knows, I might actually be inspired by this issue to get more involved in ecology and the environment! Up til now, I’ve left that to someone else.

Maryland Department of the Environment on this topic: