EPA Approves 10,000-Year Hazardous Waste Injection in Michigan
Published Date: 1/16/2026
Notice
Summary
The EPA has officially renewed Republic Industrial and Energy Solutions’ special permission to safely inject certain hazardous wastes underground in Romulus, Michigan, for at least 10,000 years. This means RIES can keep using its two injection wells without any changes, starting December 23, 2025. This decision affects RIES and ensures the protection of drinking water, with no extra costs or appeals allowed.
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 3 costs, 1 mixed.
RIES Allowed To Keep Injecting Hazardous Waste
The EPA reissued Republic Industrial and Energy Solutions, LLC (RIES) an exemption allowing continued underground injection through its two Class I wells (#1-12 and #2-12) at the Romulus, Michigan facility. The exemption is effective December 23, 2025 and applies only to the hazardous wastes listed by the RCRA waste codes in Table 1 of the decision.
EPA Found No Migration Risk to Drinking Water
EPA determined, to a reasonable degree of certainty, that hazardous constituents injected at the RIES site will not migrate out of the injection zone or into an underground source of drinking water (USDW) for at least 10,000 years. This finding applies to the Romulus, Michigan site and is part of EPA's basis for granting the exemption.
Technical Limits Set on Injection Operations
The exemption includes technical limits: injection only into the specified injection interval (roughly 3,924 to 4,537 ft below ground level), a combined monthly average injection rate cap of 130 gallons per minute (gpm) and a maximum instantaneous rate of 225 gpm, an annual volume cap of 68,374,800 gallons, a maximum wellhead pressure of 968 psig, and allowed injected waste specific gravity between 0.9 and 1.1. Only the RCRA waste codes listed in Table 1 may be injected.
Ongoing Monitoring and Reporting Requirements
RIES must submit annual bottom-hole pressure survey reports, annual waste sample reports, annual radioactive tracer survey and annulus pressure test reports, and must notify EPA in writing if any injection well loses mechanical integrity or before any workover or plugging. The exemption is conditioned on compliance with specific Underground Injection Control permits (MI-163-1W-C010 and MI-163-1W-C011).
Exemption Limited to 20-Year Injection Period
Although EPA found no migration for 10,000 years, the exemption is approved only for the 20-year modeled injection period that ends on January 31, 2043. RIES may petition EPA for reissuance beyond that date if a new, complete petition and no-migration demonstration are received by July 31, 2041.
Final Decision Is Not Administratively Appealable
EPA states this decision constitutes a final agency action for which there is no administrative appeal. The December 23, 2025 decision cannot be challenged through EPA's administrative appeal process.
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