News Releases

Constellation Generation Group Working with Local Community and Agencies to Address Potential Private Well Issue

BALTIMORE, Oct. 12, 2006 - Constellation Generation Group is taking a number of proactive precautionary steps after a private well located on Summerfield Road in Crofton, Md. in Anne Arundel County was found to have levels of certain metals in excess of federal and state guidelines. The company has proactively notified the small number of residents who live in the immediate area of the test results and is providing bottled drinking water as a precautionary measure. Additional proactive tests are being conducted on all private wells along Summerfield Road in coordination with the Anne Arundel County Health Department.

Constellation Generation Group provided all test results to the Anne Arundel County Department of Health and Maryland Department of the Environment, and is working with those agencies to ensure residents in the immediate area are fully aware of the situation and to determine the cause of the increased metals levels.

"While only a very small number of residents could be potentially affected, we have taken proactive, precautionary steps in concert with our local and state partners to address the situation," said Bonnie Johansen, senior government relations representative. "Our main focus has been and continues to be the health of the residents living in the area. To that end, we have contacted all of the residents and informed them of the test results, and provided them with bottled drinking water. Their health and welfare remains our number one priority."

Since 1995, Constellation Generation Group has been placing coal ash at the BBSS Sand and Gravel mine, located on Route 3, adjacent to Summerfield Rd. Coal ash is a non-hazardous by-product of coal burning power plants. Maryland law specifically recognizes the use of coal ash for structural building and land reclamation. Use in these applications is regulated by the Maryland Department of the Environment. The coal ash being placed at the BBSS mine is being used to "reclaim" the mined land for future commercial development.

As part of permit requirements, Constellation Generation Group maintains more than 19 test wells in the area surrounding the BBSS site, and is required to monitor those wells on a regular schedule. The results are reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Maryland Department of the Environment. The recent discovery of elevated metals and sulfates - specifically beryllium, cadmium, nickel and aluminum - was verified after a voluntary residential well test was conducted by Constellation Generation Group. The company re-tested the well and reported the results to the appropriate agencies and the homeowner. In addition to being present in coal ash, all of the substances are naturally occurring elements found in soil at the sand and gravel mine.

Contact: Kevin Thornton
(410) 470-7433