The Dumfries Town Council on Tuesday struck down a motion to pass a resolution demanding the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to require Dominion to haul away toxic coal ash from Possum Point Power Station on the Potomac River.

The utility is in the process of consolidating water and toxic coal ash – a by-product produced when the power plant burned coal from 1947 to 2003 before it converted to gas — from four coal ash ponds into one lined pond.

Once all in one lined pond, the water will be drained, treated, and released into the Potomac River. The remaining coal pond will be capped and closed in place, as is done when a landfill is closed.

Dumfries Councilman William Murphy motioned for the resolution fearing that, once the pond is capped and closed, coal ash could seep out and contaminate ground water.

Dominion is required to monitor the groundwater around the site for 30 years after the pond is closed. The utility in May demonstrated how it plans to treat and release the coal ash water before closing the ponds.

If the remaining coal ash would be removed from the site, it could be hauled away on trucks, or placed on rail cars on the rail line that runs next to Possum Point station.

“If we ask to carry our by rail or truck, the consumer would be picking up the tab,” said Councilman Cliff Brewer. “If you think your electric bills are high now, just wait.”

Even if the resolution passed, Dominion spokesman Rob Richardson said it would have no impact on what the utility has legally been permitted to do by the state during the pond closure process.

He sent us this statement: