The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final order to Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) over alleged violations of its Class VI underground injection permit at the company’s Decatur, Illinois site. The order follows findings that ADM failed to monitor an injection well as required and that injected fluid migrated into an unauthorised geological zone roughly 5,000 feet underground.
According to the EPA, the incident did not pose a threat to public health or drinking water supplies, and ADM has begun corrective actions. The company has submitted reports detailing the cause of the well failures and the removal of the migrated fluids.
Under the final order, ADM must implement compliance measures to ensure future injection activities are safe. These include enacting provisions from its emergency and remedial response plan, evaluating the extent of fluid migration, identifying and addressing any affected wells, conducting corrective action where necessary, and submitting permit modifications. ADM will also be subject to strict reporting and documentation requirements.
The EPA said its Class VI underground injection control programme is critical to protecting water supplies while enabling safe underground carbon storage from industrial and energy sources. The agency first learned of the release of injected carbon dioxide and brine in July 2024.
The fluids did not reach the surface, and nearby drinking water sources were unaffected due to geological barriers, including two impermeable rock layers separating them from the migration zone. Public comments on the proposed order, issued in September 2024, were reviewed before the final order was issued.
