What the Region 5 Underground Injection Control Branch Does

Introduction to the National UIC Program

The Scope of our Program

The Federal UIC program was created by Congress when it passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974. The scope of this program is the determination of the soundness of construction and operation of injection wells as they relate to the protection of all underground sources of drinking water (USDWs). A USDW is an aquifer or a portion of an aquifer for which contains less than 10,000 milligrams/liter of total dissolved solids.

The USEPA has delegated primary regulatory authority to those State and tribal agencies that have demonstrated an ability to implement UIC programs that meet the USEPA requirements found Title 40 Part 145 of the Code of Federal Regulations. States which conduct UIC programs are referred to as Primacy States. In States that have not received primacy, referred to as Direct Implementation States, the USEPA UIC program is the responsible regulatory agency.

UIC wells are regulated in five different classes (I - V) which characterize injection wells by the nature of the fluid injected (the injectate) and the relationship between the geological strata into which the fluid is injected and the lowest USDW. The most common UIC wells are Class II wells, related to the oil and gas industry, and Class V wells, a very general class that includes all wells which do not fit into the other four classes. Common examples of Class V wells are industrial wastewater disposal systems and septic systems connected to automotive service station bays. Most people do not know that septic systems can be injection wells. The key feature for ground water protection is whether the fluids are piped into a sewer and treated by the local sewage treatment plant (in which case they are not Class V wells) or piped into the soil (or deeper), often via a leach field or other subsurface fluid distribution system (in which case they can be Class V wells).

The Branch also has trust responsibilities for the UIC program on Region 5 Indian Lands. This includes working with those Tribes seeking approval for treatment as a State or primacy Status and also working with Tribes and other governmental agencies to implement a program where primacy has not been granted. The Branch also serves as the point of contact for the UIC program with USEPA Headquarters, other Regions, other Region 5 Divisions and Branches, the Region 5 states, the regulated community and the general public. The Branch is heavily involved on a national level in the formulation of UIC regulations, policy and technical guidance.

The Branch also directly implements the Land Disposal Restrictions, i.e., the land ban provisions of the 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) as it relates to injection well activities in the Region.

The Branch develops and implements a Class V program for direct implementation States and Tribes and assists the efforts of primacy States and Tribes to achieve the same. Primary focus is on closure of motor vehicle waste disposal wells and large capacity cesspools. In addition, inventory gathering, outreach, education, compliance assistance, joint projects and other pollution prevention related activities. Permitting and enforcement actions are taken when necessary for Class V facilities.

The Branch also actively supports and participates in various Regional/Water Division initiatives, including: community-based planning and implementation with emphasis on ground water and watershed protection, pollution prevention and risk reduction, Great Lakes initiatives, several Ground Water programs, Federal facilities compliance, source water protection and multi-media/geographic/enforcement initiatives.