Permit Process Reopened for United States Underground Injection Well Environmental Protection Agency West Bay Exploration Company Jackson County, Michigan May 2012 v>EPA New comment period and public hearing scheduled The EPA is seeking further comments on the West Bay #22 Well draft permit. The original comment period ended in February and a public hearing was requested. EPA will address all comments received during both comment periods and at the public hearing. The new comment period closes Friday, June 1. An information meeting and formal public hearing have been scheduled: Wednesday, May 23 Information Session: 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Public Hearing: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Columbia Central Fligh School Brooklyn, Michigan How to comment If you have submitted a comment, you do not need to resubmit. Send new written comments to: Anna Miller U.S. EPA (WU-16J) 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604-3590 miller.anna@epa.gov Right to appeal You have the right to appeal any final permit decision if you made an official comment in the previous comment period, the new comment period or commented at the public hearing. The first appeal must be made to the Environmental Appeals Board. Location of Proposed West Bay Exploration Well Scale: 1:15.131 R&WUUIC/TE This map shows the location of the proposed West Bay %,22 dmft permit (EPA §hM-075-2D-0009) for an underground injection well. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has scheduled a public hearing on a permit request by the West Bay Exploration Co. The company wants to dispose of brine deep beneath the earth's surface. EPA calls this a Class II non-hazardous brine disposal well. Class II wells are typically used to inject fluids that result from oil and gas production into the ground. There are about 144,000 Class II wells in the United States. About 20 percent are known to be used for brine disposal. EPA reviewed the West Bay #22 permit application and found there should be no significant environmental impact from the proposed well. EPA received requests for a public hearing during the original comment period, which closed in February. So EPA will hold a public hearing and begin a new comment period before making a final decision on granting the permit. The Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes EPA to regulate the underground injection of fluids through wells to protect underground sources of drinking water. For more information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions for this permit, please check EPA's website at www.epa.gov/region5/water/uic/uicpub.htm. ------- More information available You may view the draft permit and public hearing fact sheet at: Jackson District Library 244 W. Michigan Jackson, Mich. You may also view related documents at the EPA's Chicago office. Please contact: Anna Miller Permit Writer 312-886-7060 miller.anna@epa.gov. Or visit www.epa.gov/region5/water/uic/uicpub.htm. For further questions, call toll-free, 800-621-8431, weekdays, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 2 ------- |