Republic Services seeks injection permits for proposed wells at Indiana landfill

Republic Services, Phoenix, has applied for two permits to allow the company to inhect leachate from the Newton County Landfill in Brook, Indiana, into the ground.

According to the Newton County Enterprise, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has plans to approve the request from Republic Services for issuance of two Class I underground injection permits for two proposed new wells located within the Newton County Landfill.

The two permits authorize the disposal of "non-hazardous" liquid waste from landfill leachate, landfill gas condensate, well maintenance and testing fluids, and stormwater runoff generated at the facility.

Federal regulations require Class I wells to inject waste into an area below the deepest underground source of drinking water. All Class I wells must be cased and cemented to prevent the movement of fluids into or between underground sources of drinking water.

According to the EPA Fact Sheet on Republic Services' plan, the injection zone for the two wells is the Mount Simon Sandstone, which is located 3,200 to 5,000 feet below the surface.

In Newton County, the base of the deepest underground source of drinking water is 790 feet below the surface called the Silurian-Devonian Aquifer.

The EPA Fact Sheet on the plans states that "there are adequate confining layers between the injection zone and the deepest source of drinking water to prevent the movement of injected fluids into underground sources of drinking water."

The EPA also says there are no other wells that penetrate that confining zone within a 2-mile radius of each proposed injection well, and they have set a limit on injection pressure to prevent fracturing of the injection zone rock formation.

For the proposed deep injection wells, the EPA will hold a hearing if it determines that there is significant public interest in one or more of the draft permits, based on written requests. If a public hearing is scheduled, a notice of the hearing will be published at least 30 days in advance.

The EPA is currently seeking public comments for the two underground injection permits. The public comment period closes on Nov. 16.