LANSING – State Representative Doug Geiss (D-Taylor) today urged the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to terminate the operating license of commercial deep-injection waste wells in Romulus, located near the Taylor city limit.
"These wells jeopardized our residents' safety and well-being in the past, and they were shut down because of it," Geiss said. "It's unfortunate that there is an effort to get them back up and running. These wells put our children, community, land and water at risk, and I will do everything I can to ensure that they are shut down for good."
Environmental Disposal Systems (EDS) opened the wells in 2005 and began accepting a variety of liquid hazardous wastes from industry and injecting them into a layer of rock nearly a mile underground. Less than a year later, the DEQ discovered above-ground leaks during an inspection and shut the wells down. In 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency terminated EDS' federal permits. The EPA's decision to terminate the permits was based on numerous violations, including failing to notify the agency of an ownership transfer.
The new owners of the wells, Romulus Deep Disposal Operations, have applied to the EPA for an underground injection control permit; the EPA is reviewing that application.
"It's wrong that these wells were able to become operational in the first place, and I will fight to ensure that they never open again," Geiss said. "Michigan is defined by our natural beauty – we are the Great Lakes State. We have a responsibility to protect our air, land and water from hazardous waste and other toxic chemicals that threaten our residents' well-being. Keeping these wells closed will help ensure that Michigan remains a beautiful place to live, work and raise a family for years to come."