[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37803-37805]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17772]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6375-8]


Notice of Availability of Draft Summary of Class V Injection Well 
Study (EPA Working Draft)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: EPA and the Sierra Club entered into a modified consent decree 
on January 28, 1997 (D.D.C. No. 93-2644). In accordance with the second 
action required by this decree, EPA is completing a study of all Class 
V wells not included in the July 28, 1999 proposed rulemaking on high-
risk Class V injection wells (63 FR 40586). The purpose of this 
document is to seek public comment on the draft summary of this study, 
which provides general information on the study approach and results, 
to ensure that the information is accurate, complete and current.

DATES: EPA must receive public comment, in writing, on the draft Class 
V study by August 12, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the UIC Class V, W-99-12 Comment 
Clerk, Water Docket (MC-4101); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 
401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460. Comments may be hand-delivered 
to the Water Docket, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 401 M 
Street, SW, EB57, Washington, DC 20460. Comments may be submitted 
electronically to [email protected].
    Please submit all references cited in your comments. Facsimiles 
(faxes) cannot be accepted. Send one original and three copies of your 
comments and enclosures (including any references). Commenters who 
would like EPA to acknowledge receipt of their comments should include 
a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
    The draft study summary is available for review in the Water Docket 
at the above address. For information on how to access docket 
materials, please call (202) 260-3027 between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. 
Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. If you would like copies 
of the summary contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Office 
of Water Resource Center; RC-4100; 401 M Street, SW; Washington, DC 
20460 or call (202) 260-7786. The summary is also available on the EPA, 
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Underground Injection 
Control web site: http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/uic/cl5study.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact the 
Safe Drinking Water Hotline, toll free 800-426-4791. The Safe Drinking 
Water Hotline is open Monday through Friday, excluding federal 
holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. For 
technical inquiries, contact Anhar Karimjee, Underground Injection 
Control Program, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (mailcode 
4606), EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC, 20460. Phone: 202-260-
3862. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For the Class V study, EPA grouped Class V 
wells into the following 23 categories:
    Agricultural Drainage Wells include all wells receiving 
agricultural runoff. This includes improved sinkholes and

[[Page 37804]]

abandoned drinking water wells receiving agricultural runoff, wells 
that recharge aquifers with agricultural tail waters, and wells used to 
drain flood irrigation.
    Storm Water Drainage Wells are shallow injection wells designed for 
the disposal of rain water and melted snow. These wells typically drain 
paved areas such as streets and parking lots, or roofs. Improved 
sinkholes and abandoned drinking water wells receiving storm water 
runoff are considered to be storm water drainage wells.
    Wells Used to Drain Fluids from Carwashes Where No Engine or 
Undercarriage Washing is Performed include floor drains in bays of 
coin-operated manual carwashes where people use hand-held hoses to wash 
only the exterior of cars, trucks, and other vehicles. These kinds of 
carwashes are sometimes referred to as ``wand washes,'' as opposed to 
``tunnel washes'' or ``rollover washes'' where automatic washing 
equipment is used.
    Large-Capacity Septic Systems are used to dispose of sanitary waste 
through a septic tank, used by a multiple dwelling, business 
establishment, community, or regional business establishment for the 
injection of wastes. Systems serving single families and non-
residential systems serving less than 20 persons are not included.
    Wells Used to Inject Fluids from Food Processing Operations are any 
type of system that accepts food processing wastewater and releases it 
into or above USDWs. This includes systems used to dispose of 
wastewaters generated from the preparing, packaging, or processing of 
food products (e.g., slaughterhouses, seafood or poultry processing 
facilities, etc.), not septic systems used solely for the disposal of 
sanitary waste.
    Sewage Treatment Effluent Wells are used by privately or publicly 
owned treatment works (POTW) to inject treated or untreated domestic 
sewage through a vertical well or a leachfield. Aquifer Recharge wells, 
Aquifer Storage and Recovery Wells, Subsidence control wells, and Salt 
water Intrusion Barrier wells injecting treated or untreated wastewater 
are considered Sewage Treatment Effluent wells for the purposes of this 
study.
    Wells Used to Inject Fluids from Laundromats Where No Onsite Dry 
Cleaning is Performed or Where No Organic Solvents are Used for 
Laundering include drains that lead to drywell (open holes) or septic 
systems at coin-operated laundromats that do not have onsite dry-
cleaning services.
    Spent Brine Return Flow Wells are used to dispose of the spent 
brine which results from the extraction of minerals, halogens and other 
compounds from fluids. These wells are commonly associated with 
manufacturing facilities that produce specialty chemicals such as 
boron, bromine, magnesia, or their derivatives.
    Mine Backfill Wells are wells which inject water, sand, mill 
tailings, or other mining byproducts in order to control subsidence 
caused by mining, to dispose of mining byproducts, or to fill sections 
of a mine.
    Aquaculture Wells dispose of water used for cultivation of marine 
and freshwater animals and plants.
    Solution Mining Wells inject leaching solutions (lixiviants) in 
order to remove an ore mineral from its original geological setting. 
The saturated solution is then extracted by a production well, and the 
target mineral is harvested for processing. Copper, gold, salt, silver, 
and uranium may all be mined by solution mining processes.
    In-Situ Fossil Fuel Recovery Wells are used for in-situ recovery of 
lignite, coal, tar sands, and oil shale. The wells inject water, air, 
oxygen, solvents, combustibles, or explosives into underground or oil 
shale beds to liberate fossil fuels, so they can be extracted for 
surface use. Underground coal gasification (UCG) and in-situ oil shale 
retorting are two processes which use in-situ fossil fuel recovery 
injection wells.
    Special Drainage Wells include a variety of wells such as potable 
water tank overflow, construction dewatering, swimming pool drainage, 
and mine dewatering wells. These drainage wells receive fluids that 
cannot be classified as agricultural, industrial, or storm water.
    Experimental Wells are used to test new technologies. Wells will 
not be classified as experimental if the technology can be considered 
under an established well subclass. For example, a well used for 
bioremediation will be classified as an aquifer remediation well.
    Aquifer Remediation Wells are wells used to clean up, treat, or 
prevent contamination of underground sources of drinking water (USDWs). 
Treated ground water (pump and treat), bioremediation agents, or other 
recovery enhancement materials may be injected into the subsurface via 
Class V wells. These wells may be associated with RCRA or CERCLA 
projects.
    Geothermal Electric Power Wells dispose of spent geothermal fluids 
following the extraction of heat for the production of electric power.
    Geothermal Direct Heat Return Flow Wells dispose of spent 
geothermal fluids following the extraction of heat used directly 
(without conversion to electric power or passed through a heat 
exchanger) to heat homes, swimming pools, etc.
    Heat Pump/Air Conditioning Return Flow Wells reinject ground water 
that has been passed through a heat exchanger in order to heat or cool 
buildings. A heat pump takes thermal energy from the ground water and 
transfers it to the space being heated. When cooling is required, the 
heat pump removes heat from a building and transfers it to the ground 
water. For the purposes of the study, only open loop heat pump/AC 
return flow wells are considered.
    Salt Water Intrusion Barrier Wells are used to inject fluids to 
prevent the intrusion of salt water into an aquifer. These wells may 
have secondary purposes such as aquifer recharge.
    Aquifer Recharge Wells are used to inject fluids to recharge an 
aquifer. These wells may have secondary purposes such as salt water 
intrusion prevention, subsidence control, or aquifer storage and 
recovery (ASR).
    Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Wells are used to inject fluids 
for later recovery and use. These wells may have a secondary purpose 
such as aquifer recharge.
    Wells Used to Inject Noncontact Cooling Water That Contains No 
Additives and Has Not Been Chemically Altered are used in conjunction 
with cooling systems designed to maintain constant separation of the 
water from process chemicals.
    Subsidence Control Wells are used to control land subsidence caused 
by ground water withdrawal, or over pumping of oil and gas. These wells 
may have secondary purposes such as aquifer recharge.
    Although the Class V study is ongoing and the final methods and 
results have not yet been fully documented, the draft summary has been 
compiled and placed in the public docket for review and comment. Based 
on a workgroup of EPA and State UIC representatives, the Class V study 
design has two components: (1) An information collection effort for the 
23 Class V well categories listed above; and (2) inventory models to 
estimate the number of storm water drainage wells and large-capacity 
septic systems.

Data Collection

    The information collection for the draft study consisted of four 
activities: a literature review, State and EPA Regional data 
collection, request to the public for data, and peer review.
    In order to begin the State and EPA Regional data collection 
process, EPA

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prepared an Information Collection Request (ICR), approved by OMB (OMB 
#240-0194) on July 31, 1998. EPA then sent nearly 700 questionnaires to 
contacts identified for each State, territory, and Indian Land. EPA 
supplemented the information from the questionnaire through telephone 
interviews, on-site file searches, and information from other sources.
    EPA additionally sought information from the public through: the 
National Drinking Water Advisory Council (63 FR 66168, 64 FR 18903); 
two notices in the Federal Register (64 FR 1108, 64 FR 1007); 
presentations at meetings of the Ground Water Protection Council; an 
Internet Web site (http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/uic/cl5study.html); and, 
the July 28, 1998 proposed rule (60 FR 44652).
    Well-specific reports were drafted for each well type covered in 
the study. Although the reports are tailored to the particular issues 
relevant to the well type, all of the reports address the following 
basic topics: (1) Well purpose and fluids released; (2) the extent to 
which the fluids released exceed drinking water standards at the point 
of injection; (3) generalizations about the characteristics of the 
underground zone receiving fluids from the wells; (4) contamination 
incidents or studies, if any; (5) vulnerability of the wells to spills 
or illicit discharges; (6) prevalence of the wells; and (7) existing 
State and federal controls.
    Most reports have undergone extensive peer and EPA workgroup review 
(or are currently under review). EPA coordinated peer reviews of draft 
reports for each of the types of wells studied to ensure technical 
accuracy and completeness of the documents. Technical experts were 
located through various sources including the Ground Water Protection 
Council and three Federal Register notices seeking peer sources 
including the Ground Water Protection Council and three Federal 
Register documents seeking peer reviewers (64 FR 1007-1008). It should 
be noted that some peer review comments have not yet been addressed and 
are not reflected in the summary being made available through this 
document.

Inventory Models

    Because States believe that their inventories on storm water 
drainage wells and large-capacity septic systems are inaccurate, EPA 
constructed inventory models to predict the national inventories for 
these two well types. Due to the limited information available, EPA 
developed the inventory models by analyzing data collected from visits 
to a sample of census tracts.
Elizabeth Fellows,
Acting Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 99-17772 Filed 7-12-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P