Los Angeles has received federal approval to inject treated sewage sludge a mile below the ground under its Terminal Island Treatment Plant in San Pedro, Calif.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the city’s permit following a 45-day comment period. Los Angeles plans to drill three wells – one injection and two monitoring – and pump up to 400 tons of treated sludge per day underground.

The city will evaluate the effectiveness of using fracture injection technology to dispose of the waste. The project will generate methane that the city could recover and use to generate energy and may permanent sequester carbon dioxide.

Los Angeles is pursuing the project as an alternative to trucking some 500 tons of sewage sludge per day to Kern County, Calif., farms.

Just sweep everything under the carpet, out of site - out of mind!