FREDERICK, Md. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a $750 million class-action lawsuit alleging the Army’s reckless handling of chemical and biological toxins caused death and illness among people living near Fort Detrick in Frederick.

The Frederick News-Post (http://bit.ly/2buYcdz ) reports that U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake filed the dismissal notice Thursday in Baltimore.

She ruled that the plaintiffs had not met a threshold requirement of proving the Army lacked discretion over how to dispose of hazardous waste.

The plaintiffs had argued that executive orders signed by President Richard Nixon mandated rules for handling hazardous waste at federal facilities. Blake likened the executive orders to policy guidelines that did not remove the Army’s discretion.

Plaintiff Randy White says the plaintiffs will ask Blake to reconsider. He says if that fails, they’ll appeal the ruling.