By 4-3 vote, Tamaqua Borough Council rejected a three-year-old dredge dumping agreement with Lehigh Coal & Navigation Co., Pottsville.

With the vote, the board sent a resounding anti-dumping message to the mining firm, industry backers and regulators in the Department of Environmental Protection.By providing for $1-per-ton of dredge dumped into the Springdale Pit, the controversial agreement had the potential to bring up to $700,000 to the borough.Critics called the funds "blood money" due to the potential harmful effects of dredge dumping and hauling.