Legal notice for zinc plant only covers storm water
Jul. 9—Waelz Sustainable Products placed a legal notice in the July 3 Pharos-Tribune to notify the public about a runoff water permit.
That permit is not for water discharged from the zinc reclamation plant near Clymers, but for water such as rain or melted snow going off the site and into the local watershed.
In this case, it will go into the Wabash River, according to the legal notice.
The permit is something most industries are required to file under 327 IAC 15-6, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management [IDEM].
"The legal ad is to notify the public that this facility plans to submit a Notice of Intent [NOI] to obtain permit coverage under 327 IAC 15-6," according to an IDEM spokeswoman. "This step is required, and the document must accompany the NOI."
The notice got attention on social media because WSP officials have said the plant, being built at 3440 W. County Road 300 South in the Cass County Agri-Business Park near Clymers, would use storm water for cooling in its reclamation process and reuse water.
A spokesman for WSP released a statement about the permit emphasizing that the runoff won't be from the plant's functions.
"There is no wastewater discharged from the WSP process," T.J. Tatum stated by email. "WSP will collect nearly all the storm water runoff from the facility for the purpose of onsite reuse.
"To address those rare instances when there is more storm water than the facility can reuse, WSP has filed this Notice of Intent for coverage under the state's General Permit for storm water runoff at industrial facilities."
It concluded: "This is a basic requirement of nearly every industrial facility in the U.S. and accounts only for stormwater runoff, not process wastewater. WSP will adhere to the operating practices called for in the General Permit."
A factory's permit under this law will be valid for five years and includes monitoring requirements and an annual report to the state.
The legal notice states that WSP will comply with requirements of the law for discharging storm water exposed to industrial activities.
The legal ad that WSP placed is on page B4 of the July 3 edition.
It states that questions or comments should be sent in writing to Waelz Sustainable Products LLC, Attn: Mike Englert, P.O. Box 630, Logansport, IN 46947.
Reach James D. Wolf Jr. at james.wolf@pharostribune.com or 574-732-5117
Twitter @JamesDWolfJr
