“The amendment basically gutted the bill. ... I’m looking at this from a public safety standpoint, but I’m also looking at it from a good fiscal approach to this problem,” said Chase, whose district borders the Chesterfield Power Station. “Let’s figure out the best solution and do it once.”

Though by no means in all cases, other utilities in the Southeast, including Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, are excavating ash from unlined pits near waterways and taking it to lined landfills and recycling some of it.

Parts of Chesterfield’s ash ponds sit in the old channel of the James River and are saturated with groundwater already, meaning putting a cap over them won’t keep the toxic heavy metals that the ash can contain from leaching out, environmental groups contend. Chase is also concerned about quickly approving a plan that could require an expensive fix later at ratepayer expense.

“There’s too much uncertainty at this point to make an informed decision,” she said.

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