"Chesapeake To Extend Public Water To Fly Ash Site"

"CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- The city plans to begin construction this fall on a project to extend public water to residents around a golf course sculpted from 1.5 million tons of fly ash.

Dominion Virginia Power, which paid the developers of the Battlefield Golf Club at Centerville to take the fly ash, committed up to $6 million for the project after the discovery last year of elevated levels of arsenic, lead and other contaminants in well tests conducted on the course.

But Chesapeake Mayor Alan Krasnoff also wants Dominion to pay the connection fees for more than 100 homes and businesses. That could cost at least $3,000 for each home, and possibly much more.

A Dominion spokesman said Tuesday that the company stands by its original financial commitment but had no plans to give more."

Mike Saewitz reports for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot August 26, 2009.