Injection Wells: Standards, Use and Groundwater Contamination

Interaction between UIC program, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Underground Injection Control includes electric power plants needing to dispose of industrial wastewater, mines that inject to facilitate resource extraction, oil companies seeking to enhance oil production, local government owned domestic wastewater treatment facilities that dispose of domestic wastewater, and potable water treatment facilities that store potable water underground for later use or prevent saltwater intrusion. The UIC program is technical, complex and often not well understood. This topic will explain the UIC program, describe when a UIC permit is needed and how to obtain one, and outline what must be done to comply with UIC criteria. It will help attorneys, engineers, and managers understand how to obtain and comply with UIC criteria to ensure the safe and proper underground disposal of their industrial or municipal fluids. The different classes of UIC wells will be outlined. The requirements for exploratory wells and construction and operation of injection wells will be set forth. Underground Sources of Drinking Water will be defined and Aquifer classifications and ground water quality standards will be described. You will be able to identify key UIC issues and approaches to resolving those issues, knowledgeably discuss UIC and groundwater contamination issues with regulators and consultants, and develop solutions to UIC issues and concerns by having a better understanding of how the UIC program works and the satisfactory outcomes sought by the agency staff. This should lead to a smoother approval process to obtain UIC permit and address groundwater contamination issues.