vvEPA United States Environmental Protectior Agency How to Comment You may comment on the proposed draft permit in writing. Please refer to draft permit number: MI-105-1I-0003 Mail or email your comments to: Jeffrey Wawczak U.S. EPA, Water Division UIC Branch (WU-16J) 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604-3590 Email: wawczak.jcffrcyVrcpa.gov Phone:312-886-1988 Comment Period EPA will accept written comments until Monday, October 2 (midnight postmark). Information Repository You may see the draft permit at: Ludington Public Library 217 East Ludington Avenue, Ludington, Michigan; Or at http://go.usa.gov/3JwFP. Administrative Record You may see the full administrative record, including all data submitted by Occidental Chemical, at the EPA' s Chicago regional office (iaddress above), weekdays from 9am to 4pm. For an appointment to see the files, contact Jeffrey Wawczak (see above). Right to Appeal You have the right to appeal any final permit decision if you mate 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 Occidental Chemical Corporation - Injection Well Mason County, Michigan August 2017 U. S. Environmental Protection Agency tentatively approved a request from Occidental Chemical Company (Occidental Chemical) to re-issue 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). Occidental Chemical plans to continue disposal of nonhazardous liquid waste from their operations into the Class I well in Ludington, Michigan. The company submitted a reapplication for their Class I injection well. 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 ... Location of Existing Oxy (Dow) #25 Well Ludington, Mason Co. \ Virnetta Rd Bryant Rd J 3 0.25 L 0.5 I 1 Mile J Map shows location of the injection well in the city of Ludington in Mason 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. 1 ------- Public comments and requests for a hearing Send comments and requests for a hearing to EPA's Jeffrey Wawczak (wawczak.i effrev@epa. gov) during the public comment period (see front-page box). The dates of the public comment period are also published in the Ludington Daily News newspaper for Mason County. 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 the well concluded it would have no significant 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 Occidental Chemical's existing well, the base of the lowermost USDW sits at a depth of 585 feet relative to Kelly bushing. This water-bearing formation is the Glacial Drift. Site geology: The injection zone is the Traverse Group and Dundee Limestone from 1,359 to 2,041 feet relative to Kelly bushing. The immediate overlying confining zone includes the Antrim formation which is composed of 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 injection well. EPA analyzed the AOR to identify wells that might allow fluid to move out of the injection zone. In the AOR for the well, there are 0 producing, 3 injection, 5 temporarily abandoned, 2 plugged and abandoned, and 1 salt solution mining well that penetrate the confining zone. These wells meet construction standards and will not allow fluid to move out of the injection zone for the well. Maximum injection pressure: EPA set an injection pressure limit that will prevent the injection formations from fracturing. The proposed maximum injection pressure for the well is limited to 201 pounds per square inch gauge. Financial assurance: Occidental Chemical has demonstrated adequate financial resources to close, plug and abandon the underground injection well. A Surety Bond for Well #25 has been established with the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. 2 ------- |