r ' s ▁Mill ▁and ▁New ▁C ut ▁land fill s ▁fund ed ▁by ▁an ▁additional ▁$ 1 2 0 ▁tr ash ▁tax ▁implemented ▁by ▁Charles ▁I . ▁E cker . ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁E cker ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁pl astic ▁cap ▁to ▁keep ▁rain water ▁out ▁would ▁be ▁reduced ▁to ▁, ▁ex cluding ▁s loped ▁surfaces . ▁Three ▁days ▁later ▁he ▁fle w ▁to xic ologist ▁Laura ▁Green ▁in ▁to ▁discuss ▁the ▁cancer ▁rates ▁of ▁the ▁community , ▁explaining ▁that ▁est ro gen , ▁sun light , ▁alco hol , ▁as best os , ▁c igare tt es ▁and ▁radiation ▁are ▁also ▁contrib utors ▁to ▁cancer . ▁Public ▁water ▁was ▁made ▁available ▁for ▁ 2 8 0 ▁homes ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁with ▁the ▁Council ▁ex cluding ▁homes ▁built ▁after ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁stating ▁purch as ers ▁should ▁have ▁known ▁the ▁issues ▁with ▁cont am ination ▁by ▁then . ▁ ▁Post ▁Collection ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁Inter state ▁commerce ▁laws ▁were ▁enfor ced ▁removing ▁local ▁municipal ities ▁mon opol ies ▁on ▁commercial ▁dump ing ▁locations . ▁Com mer cial ▁operators ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁choose ▁che aper ▁sites ▁other ▁than ▁Al pha ▁R idge ▁which ▁charged ▁up ▁to ▁$ 6 0 ▁a ▁ton . ▁The ▁County ▁lost ▁a ▁dedicated ▁source ▁of ▁income , ▁leaving ▁a ▁li ability . ▁After ▁dump ing ▁operations ▁dis cont in ued ▁at ▁Al pha ▁R idge , ▁Howard ▁County ▁chose ▁to ▁export