By Jake Kincaid | Pinal Central
When Johnson Utilities announced in June that it would close the troubled Section 11 wastewater treatment plant and construct a Copper Basin Water Reclamation Plant, local activists expressed skepticism. It has now become clear the plant won’t close anytime soon.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has posted a notice that Johnson Utilities has applied for a permit to expand capacity at the Section 11 plant within the bounds of its current property.
ADEQ has made significant amendments to the permit, requiring the utility to take further steps to mitigate the release of the toxic gas hydrogen sulfide, which has long saddled the facility with a monitoring control system.
