The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is releasing for public comment a revised permit for the County of Maui’s underground injection wells at Lahaina.

The agency will accept comments on the revised draft through June 23. The EPA will consider all public comments, including those previously submitted, before making a final decision on the proposed permit. The revised draft permit can be found on the EPA Region 9 Web site at www.epa.gov/region09/water/groundwater/uic-permits.html.

The proposed permit would renew authorization for the County of Maui to operate four injection wells at the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility. The county owns and operates the facility, which provides secondary treatment to domestic wastewater.

The facility disposes of 3 to 5 million gallons per day of the treated wastewater on-site into four gravity-fed injection wells. The facility reclaims approximately 1 million gallons per day of treated wastewater and sends it for reuse by a nearby golf course, pineapple company, and construction contractors.

The injection wells range in depth from 180 to 255 feet and are located approximately 1,500 to 1,900 feet from the shoreline of West Maui at an elevation of about 30 feet. The revised permit contains additional requirements for limiting biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids, a reduction in the injection rate limits and a nitrate concentration limit.

The proposed permit also imposes new mass loading limits for total nitrogen, which become more stringent over the course of the 10-year permit term, a new fecal coliform concentration limit, and a requirement for the injection fluid to be treated to the same level as the reuse waste water by a future compliance date. To track the county’s compliance with the new conditions, the proposed permit requires additional monitoring and reporting.

Comments and recommendations must be received or postmarked by June 23 and must be in writing (e-mail is acceptable) to be considered. Comments already submitted to EPA on the prior proposal, including the public hearing transcript, are available at www.epa.gov/region09/water/groundwater/uic-permits.html#cur.

Send comments to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ground Water Office (WTR-9), 75 Hawthorne St., San Francisco, CA 94105, Attn: Nancy Rumrill; phone 415-972-3293; fax 415-947-3549; or e-mail rumrill.nancy@epa.gov.