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The river's headwater is just west of Alba in Antrim County. Water flows westerly for about one-third of the river's length, then turns northerly to flow into the south arm of Lake Charlevoix at East Jordan in Charlevoix County.

But the pristine Jordan River could be at risk if CMS Energy, a holding company of Consumers Power, is allowed to store contaminated wastewater nearby.

Recent clean up of leachate, a hazardous by-product of water and cement kiln dust, found at Bay Harbor on Lake Michigan has left the former owner of the land, CMS Energy, looking for a place to dump the toxic wastewater.

Alba was the choice as the site to install an underground injection well to hold the leachate.

But, Friends of the Jordan River Watershed, working with professors from Michigan State University, have identified the Alba area as a primary source of groundwater for the Jordan River, said FOJ president, Dr. John Richter.

"Any contamination of the ground water from this injection well would ultimately harm the Jordan River," Richter said.

FOJ is opposed to the CMS Energy proposal in the Alba area. The group was successful in obtaining an extension of time for public comment concerning the proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In a June 27 letter to the EPA asking for the extension, Richter informed the EPA of the reasons FOJ opposed the injection well proposal.

"The area in question involves a large magnificent aquifer which supplies the region's drinking water, as well as several major pristine rivers, including the Jordan and Manistee. A mistake or miscalculation here would have profound ramifications for many years to come," Richter said.

"Unlike many of the surrounding shoreline affluent communities, most residents of Alba do not have resources as readily available to organize in a short time period when proposals that threaten our environment arise. We would like to believe Alba was not chosen because of this. An extension to the public comment period would alleviate such a concern and give us time to ensure mistakes that could last generations are not made," he added.

CMS Energy must obtain a permit from the EPA because the agency regulates underground injection of fluids through wells. The proposed injection well in Alba would be 2,200 feet deep, approximately 900 feet deeper than drinking water wells in the area.

CMS Energy spokesman, Tim Petrosky, appeared before Charlevoix County Commissioners at a June 27 meeting in the county building. He stated that the company has long adhered to state and federal regulations and maintains a good record in the state.

CMS Energy applied for the well because it is responsible for the leachate disposal, he said. The well would give the company control over the disposal. Alba was chosen because the geology is ideal, Petrosky said.

CMS Energy has also applied for a permit to dispose of the wastewater at the Bay Harbor site, he told commissioners. A public hearing is expected to be held in mid or late August, Petrosky said. In light of that, the application for a well in Alba may not have been needed. But Petrosky said that it was.

"We don't have a permit yet for on-site (Bay Harbor) disposal and we don't know how long it will take, and in the meantime we have an obligation to take care of this in an appropriate manner," Petrosky said on Monday.

But, CMS Energy does not have a permit for the Alba site either.

A hearing on the Alba site held on June 13 in Alba, brought many comments based on concern for the ground water and the river, FOJ's Richter said. "Every person who spoke against the injection well feared contamination," he said.

The biggest social issue of the hearing was the insult of transporting Bay Harbor waste to Alba, he added.

Written comments may be submitted until July 27 to the EPA at UIC DI Section (Attn: Lisa Perenchio, Chief), 77 West Jackson Blvd (WU-16J), Chicago, Ill 60604.

For more information about Friends of the Jordan River Watershed, Inc., the website is www.friendsofthejordan.org. The telephone number is 231-536-9947.