A second public hearing regarding a request from the Canada-based company Energex for a Class II injection well permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been scheduled.

A meeting will be held on Thursday, October 12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and the hearing will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Oxford High School (745 N. Oxford Rd.)

Comments may also be submitted to Anna Miller at U.S. EPA, Water Division, UIC Branch (WU-16J), 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604-3590.

They may also be emailed to miller.anna@epa.gov.

The EPA will accept written comments until Oct. 19 (midnight postmark).

If approved, the company would be permitted to inject a gas mixture, containing carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as components, into underground rock formations through a currently existing production well, known as the Lanphar 1-12 Well (located near Leonard and Dequindre Roads), in a process known as enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

According to the EPA’s draft permit, the Chemical composition analysis of the injection “shall include, but not be limited to, the following: Hydrogen Sulfide, Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Ethane, Propane, Iso-butane, N-butane, Isopentane, N-pentane, Hexanes, Heptanes plus, Specific Gravity and Temperature.”

Although the injection site would be located on private property, it would be in close proximity to township-owned and residential areas, which township officials worry could put local water wells at risk.

According to the permit application, a state bond in the amount of $250,801 has been posted, in accordance with EPA regulations.

“Our main concern is that the bond they’re putting in there is not enough to cover the damages if there was some kind of disaster there. That’s not enough to cover replacing water lines in the community well if our resident’s wells at home became tainted,” said Supervisor Bruce Pearson. “To me, (the EPA) should demand a much higher bond. The cost would be just tremendous and I just don’t think there are enough controls on what Energex is doing. My main concern is, when they’re long gone, what will the effects to our community be in the long-term?”

The original comment period ended in May.

For further information, visit www.epa.gov/publicnotices/public-hearing-draft-class-ii-permit-mi-125-2r-0003.