AJC.com

The House on Monday unanimously passed HB 1028 requiring the state to alert residents and local governments when a landfill leaks.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Bill Werkheiser (R-Glennville), comes a few weeks after the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a landfill near Jesup in southeast Georgia leached coal ash residue, including beryllium and other heavy metals, into the soil and groundwater.

The leakage at the Broadhurst Environmental Landfill was first reported to the state Environmental Protection Division in December 2011. More than two years passed before the landfill operator shuttered the coal ash facilities, according to EPD files.

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