DEP: Waste wells will not contaminate aquifer

Sep 13 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Randal Yakey The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

Residents pelted Gulf Power Company officials and representatives of the Florida Departmental of Environmental Protection (DEP) Thursday regarding deep wastewater wells proposed for the company's Lansing Smith plant.

Both the power company and DEP officials were asked questions regarding potential for contamination of the aquifer and possible home well contamination. Both the DEP and Gulf Power officials said the five deep wells would not impact drinking water or the aquifer.

Ecologist Linda Fitzhugh, a professor of biology at Gulf Coast State College, said her concern has more to do with burying wastewater deep underground.

"I prefer seeing waste being treated and put in a place where it can be better monitored than dumping it thousands of feet into the ground," Fitzhugh said.

Joseph Haberfeld, who represented the DEP's underground injection control program, told the group that "no hazardous waste" would be put into the wells.

Haberfeld also told the gathering that Gulf Power would conduct "constant" monitoring of the wells to make sure no wastewater permeated the aquifer.

Bradley Marshall, an attorney for Earth Justice, said not enough is known to make sure the aquifer would not be polluted. Marshall came before the gathering and put on his own display with charts and graphs.

"We don't think an efficient analysis has been done by Gulf Power to show that drinking water will be protected," Marshall said.

Marshall said Earth Justice did not believe there was enough evidence provided by Gulf Power that wastewater would not flow up to pollute the aquifer.

Gulf Power is proposing to inject about 5 million gallons of water per day into at least one of the five wells proposed for construction.

"Permitted waters would be reclaimed water from wastewater treatment plants," Haberfeld said.

The water would come from Bay County and Panama City facilities.

Haberfeld said Gulf Power would dig the wells to approximately the 2,000 foot level. If that was not sufficient for keeping the waste from contaminating the aquifer, Gulf Power would be required to drill down to the 7,000 foot level, much deeper than most wells in the area.

Gulf Power's Jim Vick explained the company needs fresh water to help cool the company's gas tower. Salt water has a much more corrosive impact.

At a similar Gulf Power operation in Escambia County, the company has been taking reclaimed water and using it to cool its towers and clean devices that remove pollutants from plant equipment.

The DEP is expected to rule on the proposal sometime next year.

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