COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. — The Carrier Corporation said Monday that the company is withdrawing a request that would allow it to inject wastewater into the aquifer, although it could refile the request later.
“Carrier is committed to protecting people and the environment, while reducing the environmental impacts of our operations,” the company said in a statement.
The company asked Shelby County officials last year for permission to install injection wells that would send wastewater into the Memphis Sand Aquifer, the source of drinking water for much of the area. Currently that water goes to a treatment plant.
The company said the move would save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
But the plan drew fire from environmental groups including Protect Our Aquifer, Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Southern Environmental Law Center.
Those groups said the wastewater originated in a contaminated Superfund environmental cleanup site, and said hexavalent chromium had been detected in the well Carrier planned to use.
Ward Archer, president of Protect Our Aquifer, said the group was pleased to hear Carrier had withdrawn its application.
“This proposal never made sense and put our aquifer at risk of contamination,” Archer said in a statement. “After going through this process, we would like to see Carrier and the EPA take a holistic look at understanding the groundwater contamination issues between these two Superfund sites. This understanding is crucial to full remedy the contamination problems impacting the Memphis Sand Aquifer.”
Carrier representatives said they appreciated the feedback the company received on the plan and they were evaluating additional options.
