Up North Progressive

On November 2, 2017, the Wexford County Board of Commissioners voted 8 to 1 to draft a resolution opposing a permit for a deep injection wastewater well scheduled to be located in the Manton area. A tentative permit has been granted to Wexford Water Technologies LLC by the EPA, but the public has until November 22, 2017 to comment.

Wexford County sold the landfill to American Waste in 2010 to save money when it was discovered trichloroethylene had contaminated the ground water under the landfill. At the time, the county decided to sell the landfill to avoid paying the cost of closing the landfill down and cleaning up the contaminated water. Wexford County didn’t have $13 million dollars to cover the bill.

Local residents are not convinced the proposed injection site – 3,166 to 3,799 feet down into the Traverse Limestone formation – will provide enough of a barrier between the groundwater above and the well below to prevent the contaminated water from leaking into nearby aquifers. One well does exist in the zone, but it is plugged and abandoned. The EPA also ensures that the pressure for the proposed well, 1,038 pounds per square inch, is low enough to prevent the surrounding rock from fracturing.

It’s still unknown at this time the connection between Wexford Water Technologies LLC and American Waste. Wexford County would also be responsible for clean up if any other contamination is discovered with the old landfill, and not American Waste. Once the resolution is written and approved, it will be sent to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the EPA.

To leave public comment, contact Andrew Greenhagen of the EPA by email at greenhagen.andrew@epa.gov by telephone at (312) 353-7648, or mail letters of concern to U.S. EPA, Water Division, UIC Branch (WU-16J), 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604-3590. There is at this time no plan to hold a public hearing, but people have until November 22, 2017 to comment on the proposed wastewater injection well.

The Environmental Protection Agency is currently under the control of a man who justifies sweeping policy changes with bible stories. The EPA favors private business over public health, and according to Scott Pruitt, it pleases God to do so. Please take the time to voice your concerns about this permit and what it will allow this private company to do in Wexford County.