UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
•	CONGRESS ESTABLISHES STATUTORY FRAMEWORK
FOR THE UIC PROGRAM
•	SDWA/RCRA INTERFACE
•	BASIC CONCEPTS
•	THE UNITED STATES DEPENDS ON GROUND WATER
FOR DOMESTIC USE
•	TO PROTECT GROUND WATER, EPA AND STATES CONTROL
WELLS USED TO INJECT FLUIDS UNDERGROUND
•	CLASS I: HAZARDOUS WASTE INJECTION WELLS
•	CLASS I: NONHAZARDOUS WASTE INJECTION WELLS
•	CLASSE: INJECTION WELLS ASSOCIATED WITH OIL
AND GAS PRODUCTION
•	CLASS HI: INJECTION WELLS ASSOCIATED WITH SOLUTION
MINING OF MINERALS
•	CLASS V INJECTION WELLS
•	UIC RESOURCE SUMMARY (1978-1992)
•	EPA REGIONS WITH UIC PROGRAMS FOR INDIAN TRIBES
•	NUMBER OF REGULATED INJECTION WELLS IN THE U.S.
•	MECHANICAL INTEGRITY TESTING

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CONGRESS ESTABLISHES THE STATUTORY FRAMEWORK
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DEVELOPMENT OF UIC
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IMPACT OF INJECTION (»
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In 1974, Congress amended the Public Health
Service Act to ensure that the public would be
provided with safe drinking water. The amended
Act, thereafter known as the "Safe Drinking Water
Act" called directed the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to establish minimum
requirements for effective State programs to
prevent underground injection which endangers
groundwater resources of public water supply
systems.
'Underground Inaction endanger*
drinking water sources It auch
Injection may reeult In the
presence In underground water
which auppllea or can reasonably
bo expected to aupply any public
water system of any contaminant,
and K the pretence 0/ tuch con-
taminant may reeult In such sys-
tem's not complying with any
national primary drinking water
regulation or may otherwise ad-
vendy affect the health 0/
persons.'
(PartC of the SDWA)
The 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
laid down the statutory framework for the
national Underground Injection Control
program.

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STATUTORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE UIC PROGRAM
The national Underground Injection Control
(UIC) program requirements tor State
programs MUST:
o prohibit underground injection not
authorized by permit or rule;
o require permit applicants to demonstrate
that underground injection will not endanger
drinking water sources; and,
o include inspections, monitoring, record-
keeping and reporting requirements,
o recognize varying geologic, hydrologlcal
or historical conditions among the different
States or areas within a State.
The national Underground Iniection Control
(UIC) program requirements for State
programs MAY NOT:
o interfere or Impede the underground
injection of brine or other fluids which are
brought to the surface in connection with oil
or natural gas production; or,
o Interfere or impede underground injection
in connection with the enhanced recovery of
oil or natural gas, unless essential to protect
USDWs.
When EPA approves a State's program, the State shall have primary enforcement
responsibility for underground water sources. In cases where a State cannot or
will not adopt its own program and assume primary enforcement responsibility,
EPA shall prescribe a UIC program. EPA may make grants (not to exceed 75 per-
cent of the recipient's costs) to States to carry out underground water source
protection programs. Finally, States have the option of developing regulations
that are more stringent than the Federal UIC program requirements.
Congress has amended the SOWA four
times:
IN 1977 -
Congress extended its deadline for EPA to
institute national standards for injection
practices. The States, in turn, received
more time to apply for primary enforce-
ment responsibility (primacy). Congress
extended grant and technical assistance to
States for primacy development modified
the statutory language pertaining to oil and
gas related injection practices and clarified
the extent of SDWA authority over injection
activity conducted by Federal agencies and
Indian Tribes.
IN 1979 -
Congress extended SOWA authorities and
appropriations for three years.
IN 1980-
Congress exempted underground Injection
of natural gas for purposes of storage from
the definition of underground Injection.
Congress added Section 1425 to the SDWA '
so that a State with an existing underground
injection control program for injection of fluids
associated with petroleum production can _
assume primacy by demonstrating its program
is protective of USDWs according to the SDWA
in lieu of adopting the Federal UIC program.
IN 1986-
Congress directed EPA to assess the Impact of
injection practices not usually associated with
large Industries (non-residential septic systems,
for example) and recommend Federal UIC stan-
dards. Congress also directed EPA to treat
eligible Indian Tribes as States delegate UIC
primacy where appropriate. Finally, Congress
required Injection wells to meet hazardous
and solid wast* requirements under the 1984
Hazardous Wast* Amendments to the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act

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UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM
BASIC C0MCEPT8
The regulations define:
WELL as any bored, drilled or driven shaft or dug hole
whose depth is greater than the largest surface
dimension.
USDW as any aquifer or part thereof which contains less
than 10,000 mg/1 TDS and serves, (or contains a
sufficient quantity of water to serve) a public water
supply system, and which has not been exempted.
Injection wells are divided into five Classes:
(1992 inventory figures in parenthesis)
Class I: wells used to inject municipal or industrial
waste including hazardous waste) below the
lowermost USDW. (170 hazardous waste wells;
347 nonhazardous Class I wells)
Class IX* wells used to inject fluids related to oil
and gas production including enhanced
recovery, disposal of produced waters, and
hydrocarbon storage. (176,768 class II
wells)
Class IZZt wells used to inject fluids for the
extraction of minerals. (35,668 Class III
wells)
Class XV: wells used to inject hazardous or radioactive
waste into or above an underground source of
drinking water; banned by regulation unless
they are used as part of an approved RCRA or
CERCLA ground-water clean-up operation.
Class ~: all other injection wells.
Regulatory standard for Class I, II and III wells is no
fluid movement into USDW, however there are exceptions
such as construction requirements for Class II and
closure for Class III.

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SDWA/RCRA INTERFACE
Class I hazardous waste (HW) wells must comply with both SDWA and
RCRA. Under certain conditions a UIC permit is a pennit-by-rule under
RCRA.
The 1984 RCRA amendments contained specific provisions subjecting HW
wells to the requirements of the Land Ban.
In order to continue to inject hazardous wastes beyond certain dates specified
in the statute or subsequent regulations, an operator must either:
treat the wastes to levels or by methods specified in regulations
(BDAT); or,
demonstrate to a reasonable degree of certainty that there will be no
migration of hazardous constituents from the injection zone for as long
as the waste remains hazardous.
Pan 148 regulations (July 26, 1988) require HW operators to submit petitions
to continue disposal of untreated hazardous waste and demonstrate that
hazardous constituents will not migrate out of the injection zone at hazardous
levels for 10,000 yean. These regulations were challenged and successfully
defended. (OSW's proposed petition rule still at OMB)

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EPA 1992
AM. SAMOA
MARIANAS ISL.
Odc-
GUAM
INDIAN TRIBES
PALAU
PUERTO RICO
VIRGIN ISL.
50 % of pop. or moR rdj
cm 30ftto«%
~
30%
THE UNITED STATES DEPENDS ON GROUND WATER
FOR DOMESTIC USE
O AM. SAMOA
MARIANAS ISL.
Odc-
0GUAM
Q INDIAN TRIBES
QPALAU
PUERTO RICO
Q VIRGIN ISL.
	.	- -	,	,		 SpfitUICProgram
Control (UIC) Program	^
TO PROTECT GROUND WATER, EPA AND STATES CONTROL
WELLS USED TO INJECT FLUIDS UNDERGROUND

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EPA 1992
O AM. SAMOA
O MARIANAS ISL.
Od-c.
O GUAM
Q INDIAN TUBES
Opalau
O PUERTO RICO
O VIRGIN ISL.
70-123 Ciwlwdb
K3 11 - 39 Qw I wdk ~ Onetotm Omi I wtfli
CLASS I: NONHAZARDOUS WASTE INJECTION WELLS
•	Class I wells inject nonhazardous industrial or municipal fluids
into underground formations which are not now nor expected to be used for
drinking water.
•	Twenty-one State and EPA UIC PROGRAMS regulate 347 Class I nonhazardous
injection wells. Florida injects all of its treated municipal waste into
Class I wells because of its stringent surface water discharge requirements and
has die largest inventory, 123 wells.

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EPA 1992
CLASS I: HAZARDOUS WASTE INJECTION WELLS
Sixty percent of all hazardous wastes that are land disposed are injected
into 170 Class I hazardous waste wells that are regulated by the UIC PROGRAM.
Each year, Gass I hazardous waste wells inject 9 BILLION GALLONS of fluids
into confined formations below underground sources of drinking water (USDW).
Thirteen State and EPA UIC PROGRAMS regulate Class I hazardous waste wells.
Texas has the largest inventory: 73 wells.

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EPA 1992
O AM. SAMOA
O MARIANAS ISL.
Odc.
O GUAM
g) INDIAN TRIBES
Opalau
O PUERTO RICO
O VIRGIN EL.
54,446
Class n wells
m 10,000 - 25.000
122 Class Dwells
101 - 1,000
L^1 Clus II weOs
r——j 1»100
L—1 Class OweUs

CLASS O: INJECTION WELLS ASSOCIATED
WITH OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION
*	The petroleum industry produces ten gallons of brine for every gallon of
domestic oil. Three hundred billion gallons of brine are discharged
into salt water formations through Class II wells each year.
*	Class II wells are used for salt water disposal, enhanced recovery and
for hydrocarbon storage.
9 Thirty-six State and EPA UIC PROGRAMS regulate 176,768 Class II wells.
Texas has the largest inventory, 54,446 Class II wells.

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EPA 1992
mam 29,903	_ 4.699	n 51-500	r-, 1-50
— riaaa m weOs ™ Class m weOs	Class m wells 1 Class DI wells
CLASS m: INJECTION WELLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
SOLUTION MINING OF MINERALS
*	Solution mining techiques account for more than 50 % of salt and 80 % of
uranium production in the U.S.
*	Class ED wells inject water-based fluids into formations which cause minerals
such as salt, sulfur or uranium to go into solution in the ground water. The
fluid is then pumped to the surface where the mineral is stripped from the
fluid. In most operations, the fluid is treated and recycled into the
injection well.
*	Sixteen State and EPA UIC PROGRAMS regulate 202 facilities with 35,668
Class m wells each year. Class II wells are used for salt water disposal,
enhanced recovery and for hydrocarbon storage.
*	Thirty-six State and EPA UIC programs regulate more than 177,000 wells.

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EPA 1992
O AM. SAMOA
O MARIANAS ISL.
Odc-
O GUAM
O INDIAN TRIBES
O palau
O PUERTO RICO
O VIRGIN ISL
CLASS IV: INJECTION WELLS THAT
DISPOSE OF HAZARDOUS OR RADIOACTIVE WASTES
INTO A FORMATION WHICH WITHIN ONE-QUARTER MILE
OF THE WELL CONTAINS AN UNDERGROUND SOURCE
OF DRINKING WATER
* EPA prohibits Class IV injection wells unless they are authorized
under RCRA or CERCLA to reinject contaminated ground water
that has been treated and is being reinjected into the same
formation from which it was drawn.

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EPA 1992
O AM. SAMOA
O MARIANAS ISL.
Od.c.
GUAM
O INDIAN TRIBES
0 PALAU
® PUERTO RICO
O VIRGIN ISL.
15,001 - 29,000
Class V wells
rv, 1,001 -15,000
^ Class V wells
.—i 1-1,000
1—1 Class V wells
CLASS V: INJECTION WELLS THAT
ARE MOSTLY SHALLOW WELLS
Class V wells are injection wells that are not Class I, II, in, or IV wells.
They are mostly shallow wells that inject industrial waste present a great
danger to underground sources of drinking water.
Class V wells threaten surface and underground sources of drinking water,
because they are shallow and geographically dispersed with the
population - where there are drinking water supplies there are people,
where there are people, there are Class V wells.
Current Class V inventories total 190,443 but are incomplete.
Estimates range firom 500,000 to over 1,000,000.
The proposed regulatory scheme for Class V injection wells requires permits
for certain high priority wells to include: municipal waste disposal wells,
(wells used to inject POTW effluent) more than 1,000 wells,
where there are people, there are Class V wells.
Current Class V inventories total 190,443 but are incomplete.
Estimates range from 190,000 to over 1,000,000.

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UIC RESOURCE SUMMARY (1978-1992)
FY
Total Regional
Total Funda
Claaa II
Other Claaa

FTE'a
Allotted
Well Funda
Well Funda
1978
25.0
$6,000,000
$3,060,000
$2,940,000
1979
47.0
$7,600,000
$3,876,000
$3,724,000
1980
46.2
$4,395,000
$2,241,450
$2,153,550
1981
66.9
$6,574,500
$3,352,995
$3,221,505
1982
110.8
$6,574,500
$3,352,995
$3,221,505
1983
118.6
$7,074,500
$3,607,995
$3,466,505
1984
120.8
$7,500,200
$3,825,102
$3,675,098
1988
129.5
$8,500,200
$4,335,102
$4,165,098
1986
173.5
$9,100,200
$4,641,102
$4,459,098
1987
173.4
$9,500,000
$4,845,000
$4,655,000
1988
195.3
$11,500,000
$6,345,000
$5,155,000
1989
191.1
$10,500,000
$5,595,000
$4,905,000
1990
190.2
$11,177,800
$5,190,678
$5,987,122
1991
190.5
$10,500,000
$5,355,000
$5,145,000
1992
181.7
$10,500,000
$5,355,000
$5,145,000
TOTAL
1960.5
S126.996,900
S64.978.419
S62.018.481

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EPA Regions With UIC Programs
For Indian Tribes

O*
66 Indian Tribes Have Federafly-
Administered (EPA) Programs
Wefl» Grants
zy
Region II
Region V
Region Vi
Region VIII
Region IX
Region X
12
152
3,601
567
637
246
$5300
$57,500
$219,900
$88,800
$44,200
$32,tOO
Indian Tribe Injection Well Universe
v •%
Omq* 69%
Distribution by Tribe
Ml 92%
Distribution by Class

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National Overview
Mechanical Integrity Testing (MIT) By Type
(Classes l-lll)
33%
TEST TYPE
# OF TESTS
PASS
FAIL
¦ Annulus Pressure Monitoring
4,591
4*43*
152
! 2 J Casing/Tubing Pressure
29,092
27,806
1,286
[|] Monitoring Record
5,481
5,451
30
HI Other Leak Tests/Evaiuations
8,959
8,783
176
Q Cement Record
34,382
28,196
6,186
0 Temperature/Noise Log
214
208
6
[Tj Radioactive Tracer/Cement Bond
5,178

= 66
Q Other Fluid Migration Tests
1,260

K-:V 59'
* Injection wells which faded an MIT
in 1991 and did not undergo re-
medal action, have ceased Injection
TOTAL
89,157
81,196
7,961 •
Total Remedial Actions
1,451
and may be subject to plugcing and
abandonment.
Total Plugging & Abandonment
464

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MIT Testing History (CL l-ll)
EPA and State Programs
150,000
" 133,500 13M00
140,500 140,500
147,300
141,300
133,200
1983-85 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991
Year
* Totals rounded to
nearest multiple of 100
Tested
rzz.
Untested

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