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Ohio EPA to hold hearing today on AK injection wells

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By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer 12:13 AM Wednesday, March 3, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public hearing today, March 3, regarding proposed modifications to AK Steel’s permit to operate underground injection wells.

The hearing will begin at 6 p.m. at the Middletown City Building, One Donham Plaza. Comments on the permit will be collected at that time, said Ginger Voisard with the public interest center of the Ohio EPA.

West Chester Twp.-based AK Steel operates two injection wells at its Middletown Works facility, each about 3,200 feet deep, according to the Ohio EPA.

The facility uses hydrochloric acid to clean steel products and the residual fluid from these processes, known as pickle liquor, is injected into the wells for permanent disposal, said Alan McCoy, spokesman for AK Steel.

The wells, which are separated from drinking water sources by about 1,900 feet of shale, limestone and dolomites, have been operated since the 1960s and “really there hasn’t been any issues with the operation of these wells,” McCoy said.

The draft permit that would be re-issued by the Ohio EPA includes some of the following changes agreed upon by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, which represented the EPA in the appeal, and AK Steel:

• Waste analysis monitoring requirements have been added;

• Monitoring for corrosion and waste analysis are due within 15 days following the quarter in which the sampling is conducted;

• Daily monitoring of specific gravity is required instead of continuous;

• Annulus sight levels must be recorded daily and reported monthly;

• The contingency monitoring plan will be removed from permits based on the permit modification request filed on June 1, 2009.

AK Steel appealed the certain terms and conditions of the permit issued Oct. 10, 2007. The agreed changes were made Nov. 30, 2009, according to the Ohio EPA.

Written comments will be accepted on the permit changes until March 12. Comments may be submitted to the Ohio EPA Division of Drinking and Ground Waters, Attn: UIC Unit Supervisor, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216-1049.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.

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ISIS just drive the loop around the plant,all you see is dirt and filth,and believe me it was MUCH worse in 50's to the90's,you would not comprehend it. There is no way you will ever convince anyone that you did not know that mill was there or that dirty. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE ! Those wells have been injecting pickle liquor since I think about '67 maybe or so.You had no worries about AK till SUNCOKE came to to town and now you are all paranoid and stuff,geez settle down,and relax your won't change.

middsteve
12:26 AM, 3/4/2010

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You can make fun of me all you want, but bottom line is no one would to live next a pollution maker like AK, and NO....I didn't know that they had bad doing something with "spent pickle liquor" for 45 years. Who would know something like that unless you were the one injecting it?

Isis
3:04 PM, 3/3/2010

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ISIS There is no way on this earth that you did not know that mill was there. P.S. Bush owns part of SUNCOKE .

middsteve
1:01 PM, 3/3/2010

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Isis/Jane - PUH-LEASE!!! What's with your Chicken Little attitude? It's not all doom and gloom. There are strict guidelines set forth by the EPA for YOUR protection. Shut up already and you should have done your homework before moving to Scumroe.

American Made
9:57 AM, 3/3/2010

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I will be so glad when the mill finally closes.

wjtiii
9:23 AM, 3/3/2010

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