U.S. EPA Region 5 is asking for public comments on its decision to approve a request from AK Steel Corp to dispose of hazardous waste from its steelmaking operations by pumping spent pickling liquor down two existing underground injection wells on its property in Middletown, Ohio. The original exemption from federal restrictions on land disposal of hazardous waste was approved in 1990.

EPA tentatively plans to re-issue the exemption pending public comment. It has reviewed information provided by the company that shows the waste will not move out of the underground layers of rock where it will be confined when it is disposed in the deep wells.  According to EPA’s fact sheet, AK Steel is limited to pumping 390,000 gallons of liquid wastes per month.  The waste has an EPA waste code of K062, which means the waste is corrosive and toxic due to the presence of hexavalent chromium and lead.  In more general terms, K062 is spent pickle liquor generated by steel finishing operations of facilities within the iron and steel industry (SIC Codes 331 and 332).

U.S. EPA has scheduled an information meeting and public hearing on this issue for July 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Middletown Council Chambers, One Donham Plaza, Middletown, Ohio. A fact sheet and the proposed decision to approve the exemption are available at the Middletown Library, 125 S. Broad St., or on EPA’s Web site: http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/uic/pubpdf/ak_factsheet.pdf.