Utah Admin. Code R317-7-6 - Permit and Compliance Requirements - New and Existing Wells
6.1 The owner or operator of any new
injection well is required to obtain a permit from the Director prior to
construction unless excepted by R317-7-6.3. Compliance with construction plans
and standards is required prior to commencing injection operations. Changes in
construction plans require approval of the Director.
6.2 Owners or operators of existing
underground injection wells are required to obtain a permit from the Director
unless specifically excepted by Section 7-6.3 of these rules.
6.3
A.
Existing and new Class V injection wells are authorized by rule, subject to the
conditions in Section 7-6.5 of these rules.
B. Well authorization under this Section
7-6.3 expires upon the effective date of a permit issued in accordance with
these rules or upon proper closure of the well.
C. An owner or operator of a well which is
authorized by rule under this Section 7-6.3 is prohibited from injecting into
the well:
1. Upon the effective date of a
permit denial.
2. Upon failure to
submit a permit application in a timely manner if requested by the Director
under Section 7-6.4 of these rules.
3. Upon failure to submit inventory
information in a timely manner in accordance with Section 7- 6.4(C) of these
rules.
6.4
A. The Director may require any owner or
operator of a Class I, III or V well authorized under Section 7-6.3 to apply
for and obtain an individual or area permit. Cases where permits may be
required include:
1. The injection well is
not in compliance with the applicable rules.
2. The injection well is not or no longer is
within the category of wells and types of well operations authorized by Section
7-6.3.
3. Protection of an
USDW.
B. Any owner or
operator authorized under Section 7-6.3 may request a permit and hence be
excluded from coverage under Section 7-6.3.
C. Owners or operators of all injection wells
regulated by Section 7-6.3 shall submit the following inventory information to
the Director:
1. facility name and
location;
2. name and address of
legal contact;
3. ownership of
facility;
4. nature and type of
injection wells; and
5. operating
status of injection wells.
Inventory information shall be submitted no later than January 19, 1984 for existing injection wells and before injection begins for new injection wells.
6.5 Additional requirements for
large-capacity cesspools and motor vehicle waste disposal wells (see Class V
well descriptions in Sections 7-3.5(B) and 7-3.5(O), respectively).
A. All existing large-capacity cesspools
(operational or under construction by April 5, 2000) must close by April 5,
2005. See closure requirements in Section 7-6.6.
B. All new or converted large-capacity
cesspools (construction not started before April 5, 2000) are
prohibited.
C. All existing motor
vehicle waste disposal wells (operational or under construction by April 5,
2000) must either be closed or their owners or operators must obtain a UIC
permit.
1. For those wells located within a
ground water protection area as designated by the Utah Division of Drinking
Water (DDW), closure or permit application submittal must take place within one
year of completion of DDW's ground water protection area assessment for the
pertinent area.
2. All motor
vehicle waste disposal wells statewide located outside a ground water
protection area must either be closed or their owners or operators must submit
a UIC permit application by January 1, 2007.
3. If well closure is the option chosen, the
closure requirements in Section 7-6.6 must be followed. The closure deadline
may be extended by the Director for up to one year under certain conditions,
such as intent to connect to a sanitary sewer.
4. If obtaining a UIC permit is the option
chosen, Utah Drinking Water Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL's), Utah Ground
Water Quality Standards, and EPA Adult Lifetime Health Advisories must be met
at the point of injection while the permit application is under review. These
standards must also be met at the point of injection under the terms of the
permit, when issued. Utah Ground Water Protection Levels may be required to be
met at downgradient ground water monitoring wells, if required to be installed.
Such a permit may require pretreatment of the wastewater, and will require
adherence to best management practices and monitoring of the quality of the
injectate and any sludge generated.
D. All new or converted motor vehicle waste
disposal wells (construction not started before April 5, 2000) are
prohibited.
6.6 Class V
well plugging and abandonment requirements.
A. Prior to abandoning a Class V well, the
owner or operator shall close the well in a manner that prevents the movement
of fluid containing any contaminant into an underground source of drinking
water, if the presence of that contaminant may cause a violation of any primary
drinking water regulation under 40 CFR Part 141 or Utah Primary Drinking Water
Standards
R309-200-5,
or may otherwise adversely affect the health of persons.
B. The owner or operator shall dispose of or
otherwise manage any soil, gravel, sludge, liquids, or other materials removed
from or adjacent to the well in accordance with all applicable Federal, State,
and local regulations and requirements.
C. The owner or operator must notify the
Director of intent to close the well at least 30 days prior to
closure.
6.7 Conversion
of motor vehicle waste disposal wells. In limited cases, the Director may
authorize the conversion (reclassification) of a motor vehicle waste disposal
well to another type of Class V well. Motor vehicle wells may only be converted
if: all motor vehicle fluids are segregated by physical barriers and are not
allowed to enter the well; and, injection of motor vehicle waste is unlikely
based on a facility's compliance history and records showing proper waste
disposal. The use of a semi-permanent plug as the means to segregate waste is
not sufficient to convert a motor vehicle waste disposal well to another type
of Class V well.
6.8 Time for
Application for Permit. Any person who performs or proposes an underground
injection for which a permit is or will be required shall submit a complete
application to the Director in accordance with Section 7-9 a reasonable time
before construction is expected to begin, except for new wells covered by an
existing area permit.
6.9 All
applications for a Utah UIC permit, including any required Technical Report
that addresses the technical requirements of
R317-7-10
or
R317-7-11,
any technical information necessary for the adequate evaluation of any permit
application, or any permit renewal applications and Technical Reports that are
significantly different from the original permit application, must be prepared
by or under the direction, and bear the seal, of a professional geologist or
professional engineer.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.