EPA Seeks Comments On Petoskey Waste Injection Well

Region 5 of the United States Environmental Protection Agency will accept public comments on its proposed approval of Beeland Group's application for a permit to construct and operate a $2 million waste injection well near Petoskey in Emmett County. 

EPA approved construction of an underground well that must be tested to determine whether the deep rock formation can absorb the volume of waste that the applicant proposes to inject. Only if the tests show the injection zone is suitable will the authority to inject be granted. EPA has drafted a permit for public review and will accept comments until Jan. 31.

"EPA will consider comments from the public before we make a final decision," said Rebecca Harvey, water division branch chief.  "The Agency will respond to all comments as part of our public participation process."

An informational meeting will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 10,  at Petoskey High School, 1500 Hill St.  A public hearing will follow at 7 p.m. Oral and written statements will be accepted.

Beeland Group LLC of Jackson, a subsidiary of CMS Land Co., applied for a Class I injection well permit at its facility in Emmett County. CMS is responsible for collecting leachate from cement kiln waste at a large site located on the shore of Lake Michigan in Bay Harbor. The injection well would provide a permanent disposal method for liquid waste that is currently trucked off-site.

Comments must be submitted by Jan. 31 and addressed to William Bates, Water Division (WU-16J), EPA Region 5, 77 W. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Ill., 60604-3590 or e-mailed to bates.williams@epa.gov. For questions and additional information call Bates at (312) 886-6110 or (800) 621-8431 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. 

Draft documents are available at the Petoskey District Library, 500 E. Mitchell, Petoskey, and on EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/r5water/uic/beeland.

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