EPA terminates permits for EDS waste wells

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has decided to terminate federal permits issued to Environmental Disposal Systems, Birmingham, Mich., allowing the injection of hazardous waste into two underground disposal wells at a facility in Romulus, Mich.

Since 2005, the company had been accepting a variety of liquid hazardous wastes from industry and injecting them into a layer of rock nearly a mile underground. EPA’s decision is based on numerous violations, including failing to notify the agency of an ownership transfer, at the now-closed facility.

“When EPA issues a permit, it expects the permit holder to comply with all terms and conditions and EDS has not done so,” said Kevin Pierard, Region 5’s acting water division director. “Any potential new operator must start the permitting and public comment process from the beginning.”

A public comment period on the proposed termination ended June 22. Those who provided comments will receive a summary of EPA responses to all comments received about the proposal. he response-to-comments document will be available for review at the following three public libraries:

* Romulus Public Library, 11121 Wayne Road;
* Taylor Community Library, 12303 Pardee Road, and
* Eshleman Library, Henry Ford Community College, 5101 Evergreen Road, Dearborn.


EPA originally approved permits to allow the injection of hazardous waste into the two disposal wells in 1998 and renewed the permits in 2004.

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality inspectors found a leak in the surface piping of one of the wells during an October 2006 visit and ordered the facility shut down. Subsequent inspections by EPA confirmed the leak and identified numerous other violations of the permit conditions.