W. Va. Code R. § 47-60-19 - Abandonment Requirements

The following requirements apply to the abandonment of all monitoring wells and all boreholes. The appropriate groundwater regulatory agency may require, by order or other appropriate means, that any borehole or monitoring well be abandoned. The appropriate groundwater regulatory agency shall consider the following factors in determining whether a borehole or monitoring well should be abandoned: purpose, location, groundwater quality, age and condition of the well or borehole, potential for groundwater contamination, and well or borehole construction.

19.1. Timelines for Abandonment.

19.1.a. A borehole shall be abandoned within three (3) working days after its use has been discontinued.

19.1.b. Any permanent monitoring well no longer being used to gather information on geologic or groundwater properties shall be abandoned within sixty (60) days after its use has been discontinued.

19.1.c. Any monitoring well or borehole found by the appropriate groundwater regulatory agency to be acting as a conduit for groundwater contamination shall be abandoned within fifteen (15) working days after written notification by the appropriate groundwater regulatory agency.

19.1.d. Any monitoring well constructed after the effective date of this rule not meeting the requirements of this rule shall be abated, abandoned or replaced with a monitoring well meeting the requirements of this rule within sixty (60) days after written notification by the appropriate groundwater regulatory agency that the well is noncompliant, unless approved by the appropriate groundwater regulatory agency in accordance with section 22 of this rule.

19.2. Abandonment Procedures.

19.2.a. Boreholes are determined to be low risk or high risk. High risk boreholes are those boreholes on sites containing or formerly containing solid or hazardous waste, hazardous materials or their by-products, or that may be affected by solid or hazardous waste, hazardous materials or their by-products in the future; or at sites of known or suspected contamination unless otherwise determined to be innocuous; or in situations where water quality in one water bearing zone may be detrimental to another water bearing zone. All other boreholes are low risk. Low risk boreholes may be abandoned by complete filling from bottom to top with drill cuttings, tailings or native materials to restore the borehole to its original geologic setting, such that the natural migration of groundwater is not significantly influenced and the borehole has no adverse influence on the environment. High risk boreholes shall be abandoned in accordance with subsection 19.3 of this rule.

19.2.b. Monitoring wells with impermeable annular space seals. -- Monitoring wells known to be constructed with an impermeable annular space seal shall be abandoned according to the requirements of subsection 19.3 of this rule after the protective cover pipe or the flush mounted protective cover and the ground surface seal have been removed and the well riser cut off at least thirty (30) inches below the ground surface. The well riser may be completely removed during abandonment by pulling the well riser, overdrilling around the riser and then pulling the well riser out of the ground, or by drilling out the well riser completely. If the well riser is to be removed, the well should be sealed as the riser is removed pursuant to subsection 19.3 of this rule.

19.2.c. Monitoring wells with permeable annular space seals and wells in waste areas. -- A monitoring well not known to be constructed with an impermeable annular space seal or located in an existing or planned future waste disposal or treatment area shall be abandoned by removing the protective cover pipe or the flush mounted protective cover and the ground surface seal and then completely removing the well riser. The well riser may be completely removed during abandonment by pulling the well riser, overdrilling around the riser and then pulling the well riser out of the ground, or by drilling out the well riser completely. The well riser shall be removed from the well and should be sealed as the riser is removed, pursuant to subsection 19.3 of this rule.

19.3. Sealing requirements. -- Boreholes and monitoring wells shall be abandoned by complete filling with neat cement grout, bentonite-cement grout, bentonite high-solids grout, concrete, bentonite-sand slurry or sand-cement grout. When a tremie pipe is used to place the sealing material, the procedures of subsection 9.2 of this rule shall be followed. A tremie pipe shall be used to abandon monitoring wells and boreholes greater than thirty (30) feet in depth or with standing water. Monitoring wells and boreholes greater than one hundred (100) feet in depth shall be sealed with a tremie pipe-pumped method. A J-hook end or closed end with side discharge is recommended, but not required, when placing sealant materials for the abandonment of a borehole. Bentonite may be used as a sealing material without the use of a tremie pipe under the following conditions:

19.3.a. Bentonite or bentonite mixed sand consisting of eighty percent (80%) silica sand and twenty percent (20%) bentonite by volume may be used for abandonment of boreholes and monitoring wells less than thirty (30) feet deep where there is no standing water.

19.3.b. Bentonite chips or bentonite pellets may be used for abandonment of boreholes and monitoring wells less than fifty (50) feet deep and where the depth of standing water is less than thirty (30) feet, provided that the pellets or chips are smaller than one-fifth (1/5) the diameter of the hole or the annular space.

19.3.c. Bentonite chips or bentonite pellets may be used for abandonment of boreholes and monitoring wells that are greater than four (4) inches in diameter and less than two hundred fifty (250) feet deep and where the depth of standing water is less than one hundred fifty (150) feet, provided that the pellets or chips are smaller than one-fifth (1/5) the diameter of the hole or the annular space.

19.4. Sealant Settlement. -- Any settling of the sealant material shall be topped off. Sealing material may be terminated thirty (30) inches below the ground surface in agricultural areas to avoid interference with agricultural activities. A native soil plug shall be placed on top of the settled sealing material in such cases.

19.5. Abandonment Documentation. -- High risk borehole and permanent monitoring well abandonments shall be reported to the appropriate groundwater regulatory agency within sixty (60) days of the abandonment on forms supplied by the appropriate groundwater regulatory agency. In addition to the information required on the form, the person performing the abandonment shall report any decontamination procedures used between borehole and well abandonments.

Notes

W. Va. Code R. § 47-60-19