Local Governments Request Public Hearing on Consumers Energy's Wastewater Injection Plan
Local governments in West Michigan are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a public hearing regarding Consumers Energy's proposal to inject wastewater from its J.H. Campbell coal-burning plant into deep underground wells. The plant, which remains operational due to a directive from the Trump administration, will require an alternative wastewater disposal method once it ceases operations. Currently, wastewater from coal ash landfills is mixed with cooling water and discharged into Lake Michigan. Consumers Energy asserts that the wastewater, referred to as leachate, is non-hazardous and can be securely stored underground, encased in steel and cement. The company highlights that this technology has been in use for nearly a century and is approved by state and federal agencies. Despite assurances, local residents and officials express concerns about potential environmental risks, prompting Ottawa County Board of Commissioners and Port Sheldon Township to request a public hearing to... 
