xvEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency How to Comment You may comment on the proposed draft permits in writing. Please refer to Waste Management draft permit number MI-139-1I-0006. Mail or email your comments to: Andrew Greenhagen U.S. EPA, Water Division UIC Section (WP-16J) 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604-3590 Email: greenhagen.andrew@epa.gov Phone:312-353-7648 Comment Period EPA will accept written comments until September 9, 2019 (midnight postmark). You may see the draft permit at http://go.usa.gov/3JwFP. Administrative Record You may see the full administrative record, including all data submitted by Waste Management, at the EPA's Chicago regional office (address above), weekdays from 9am to 4pm. For an appointment to see the files, contact Andrew Greenhagen (see above). Right to Appeal You have the right to appeal any final permit decision if you make an official comment during the comment period or participate in a public hearing. A public hearing is not planned at this time. The first appeal must be made to the Environmental Appeals Board. The final decision can be appealed in federal court only after all agency review procedures have been exhausted. To learn more about EPA's Underground Injection Control program, or to join our mailing list visit http://go.usa.gov/3JwFP EPA Seeks Comments on Injection Well Permit Waste Management of Michigan, Inc. Ottawa County, Michigan August 2019 The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency tentatively approved a request from Waste Management of Michigan, Inc. for a Class I nonhazardous injection well permit. Before EPA makes a final decision, the Agency is providing the public an opportunity to comment on the draft permit (see left-hand box on how to comment). Waste Management plans to dispose of nonhazardous liquid waste from the Autumn Hills Recycling and Disposal Facility. The injection well would be located at the Waste Management Autumn Hills Recycling and Disposal Facility at 700 56th Avenue in Zeeland, Michigan. Federal law requires all Class I wells be built in a way that protects drinking water supplies.1 That means waste must be injected into a rock formation beneath the lowermost formation containing an underground drinking water source. All Class I wells shall be cased and cemented to prevent the movement of fluids into or between underground sources of drinking water. Text continued on back ... 5 ,v^e; ffsjea of Rev/en, ^>i, O Location of Proposed Well# IW-1 Draft Permit Number: MI-139-11-0006 Ottawa Couiitv Allegan County Legend Underground Injection Control Well I 1 Area of Review — Streets I | County Line Map shows location of the proposed injection well in Ottawa County, Michigan. 'Injection wells must meet the regulatory criteria of 40 Code of Federal Regulations, or C.F.R., sections 124,144,146, and 147; and the Safe Drinking Water Act, or SDWA. To view these regulations and laws, see https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/regulations. ------- Public comments and requests for a hearing Send comments and requests for a hearing to EPA's Andrew Greenhagen (greenhagen.andrew@epa.gov) during the public comment period (see front-page box). The public comment period includes 30 days for comments as required by law, plus an additional three days for any delay caused by mailing. Requests for a hearing must be in writing and must identify issues to be raised. EPA will hold a hearing if there is significant public interest in the draft permit decision based on written requests. If a hearing is scheduled, EPA will publish a notice of the hearing at least 30 days in advance. EPA will consider all comments received during the comment period and the hearing if held and then issue a final decision along with a document that lists EPA responses to significant comments. Permit requirements Federal regulations for underground injection wells list standards for construction, geology, location (siting), operating conditions and record keeping, to protect supplies of underground drinking water from contamination caused by injection wells. EPA's preliminary review of the permit application for this well concluded it would have no environmental impact. Below is an explanation of the some of the factors involved in permitting injection wells: Underground Source of Drinking Water (USDW): An USDW is any aquifer or portion of an aquifer that contains less than 10,000 milligrams per liter of total dissolved solids and which can be used as a source of drinking water. An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing rock or sand from which water can be extracted by a well. In the case of the Waste Management proposed well, the base of the lowermost USDW sits at a depth of 350 feet. This formation is the Marshall Sandstone. Site geology: The injection zone is the Trenton Formation, Black River Formation, Prairie du Chien Group, Trempealeau Formation, Franconia Formation, Galesville Formation, Eau Claire Formation and Mount Simon Formation from 3,853 and 6,570 feet relative to Kelly bushing. The immediate overlying confining zone is the Utica Shale. Adequate confining layers exist between the injection zone and the base of the lowermost Underground Source of Drinking Water. Area of review (AOR): The AOR is the area within a two-mile radius of the proposed injection wells. EPA analyzed the AOR to identify wells that might allow fluid to move out of the injection zone. In the AOR for the proposed well, there are 0 producing, 0 injection, 0 temporarily abandoned, 1 plugged and abandoned, and 0 other wells that penetrate the confining zone. The one plugged and abandoned well that penetrates the confining zone does not require corrective action to prevent fluid movement out of the injection zone. Maximum injection pressure: EPA set an injection pressure limit that will prevent the injection formations from fracturing. The proposed maximum injection pressure for this well is limited to 944 pounds per square inch gauge. Financial assurance: Waste Management has demonstrated adequate financial resources to close, plug and abandon this underground injection well. Waste Management has established a bond with the State of Michigan to cover these costs at the amount of $109,500. 2 ------- |