07/21/2007

Conservation group joins fight against wells

BY SHERI McWHIRTER

smcwhirter@record-eagle.com

ALBA — Time ticks away for the public to make comments to state and federal agencies about a proposed deep-injection disposal well near Alba in rural Antrim County.

Meanwhile, a Charlevoix-based nonprofit conservation group is gathering online signatures to submit to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Quality that oppose permits to allow underground injection of contaminated wastewater from a cleanup project two counties away.

About 335 people have signed up against the disposal well, said Ann Baughman, a member of the Friends of the Jordan River Watershed group.

"We're thrilled at the response from the public. And more people can sign up on our Web site,” she said.

That address is www.friendsofthejordan.org.

A deep-injection well near Alba was proposed by a subsidiary of CMS Energy, an investor in the Bay Harbor development in Emmet County, where pollutants seep into Lake Michigan from cement factory kiln dust beneath luxury lakeshore homes.

A $93 million cleanup effort is under way there, and the company applied for state and federal permits to drill a disposal well near Alba, where it would inject wastewater into underground limestone formations. The company also applied to build a treatment plant at the cleanup site near Petoskey.

Wastewater currently is taken to Grand Traverse County's septage treatment plant and a disposal well in Montmorency County.

A recent public hearing attracted numerous well opponents, and state and federal agencies extended the period for public comments to July 27.

Federal officials said it would take scientific or technical arguments to prevent the anticipated permits from being issued. Most of the roughly 50 submitted comments involve concerns about wastewater transportation, potential drinking water contamination and an affluent community imposing on a less-wealthy area, said William Bates, EPA permit writer.

"We are now in the process of doing an environmental justice review” that will include studies of demographics of the communities involved, he said.

Tim Petrosky, CMS area manager, said the company is not aware of any significant technical issues that would preclude well construction.