N.J. Admin. Code § 7:14A-8.12

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 11, June 3, 2024

Section 7:14A-8.12 - General operating criteria and construction standards

(a) The area of review for each injection well or each field, project or area of the State shall be determined according to either (a)1 or 2 below. The Department strongly encourages owners and operators of injection wells to provide the Department with data concerning which method is most appropriate for each geographic area or field.

1. The zone of endangering influence shall be that area, the radius of which is the lateral distance from an injection well, field or project, in which the pressures in the injection zone may cause the migration of the injection and/or formation fluid into an underground source of drinking water. Computation of the zone of endangering influence must be based upon the parameters listed below and must be calculated for an injection time period equal to the expected life of the injection well or pattern. The modified Theis equation in Appendix A, incorporated herein by reference, illustrates one form which the mathematical model may take. This equation is based on the following assumptions:

i. The injection zone is homogeneous and isotropic;

ii. The injection zone has infinite areal extent;

iii. The injection well penetrates the entire thickness of the injection zone;

iv. The well diameter is infinitesimal compared to "r" when injection time is longer than a few minutes; and

v. The emplacement of fluid into the injection zone creates instantaneous increase in pressure. Other models, such as those mentioned in the EPA publication Radius of Pressure Influence of Injection Wells (EPA-6/279-170), may be used for different situations encountered in the field or where the model assumptions match those situations more closely, if the Department approves of the model and determines that the model is appropriate.

2. A fixed radius around the well, field or project, of not less than two miles, shall be determined based on the following:

i. Chemistry of injected and formation fluids;

ii. Hydrogeology;

iii. Population and groundwater use and dependence; and

iv. Historical practices in the area.

3. If the area of review is determined by a mathematical model pursuant to (a)1 above, the permissible radius resulting from such calculation may be less than two miles. Where the radius calculated is significantly less than two miles, however, the Department reserves the right to require the applicant to submit additional information as needed to assess the possible impact of the proposed injection.

(b) In determining the adequacy of corrective action proposed by the applicant under 7:14A-8.11 and in determining the additional steps needed to prevent fluid movement into underground sources of drinking water, the Department shall consider the following criteria and factors:

1. The nature and volume of the injected fluids;

2. The nature and native fluids or by-products of injection;

3. The potentially affected population;

4. Geology;

5. Hydrology;

6. The history of the injection operation;

7. Completion and plugging records;

8. The abandonment procedures in effect at the time the well was abandoned; and

9. The hydraulic connections with underground sources of drinking water.

(c) Requirements for mechanical integrity are as follows

1. An injection well has mechanical integrity if:

i. There is no significant leak in the casing, tubing or packer; and

ii. There is no fluid movement into an underground source of drinking water through vertical channels adjacent to the injection well bore.

2. One of the following tests shall be used to determine the presence of significant leaks under (c)1i above:

i. Monitoring of annulus pressure between the casing and the injection tubing; or

ii. Pressure test with liquid or gas.

3. One of the following methods shall be used to determine the presence of fluid movement under (c)1ii above:

i. For Class II injection wells only, well records demonstrating the presence of adequate cement to prevent such migration; or

ii. The results of a temperature or noise log.

4. The Department shall allow the use of a test to demonstrate mechanical integrity other than those listed in (c)2 and 3ii above with the written approval of the EPA. The Department shall allow the use of any other alternate method approved by the EPA and published in the Federal Register unless the use of such method is restricted at the time of approval by the EPA.

5. In conducting and evaluating the tests for mechanical integrity described in this subsection, the owner or operator of the injection well and the Department shall apply methods and standards generally accepted in the industry. When the owner or operator reports the results of mechanical integrity tests to the Department, he or she shall include a description of the test(s) and the method(s) used. In making its evaluation, the Department shall review monitoring and other test data submitted since the previous evaluations.

(d) Requirements for plugging and abandoning Class I, II, III, and IV wells are as follows (for requirements applicable to Class V wells, see 7:14A-8.16(d) ):

1. Prior to abandoning any Class I, II, III, and IV well, the well shall be plugged with cement or with other USEPA-approved material in a manner that will not allow the movement of fluids either into or between underground sources of drinking water. The abandoned well is to be, at a minimum, filled and sealed in conformance with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:9D, or in conformance with the requirements established in a NJPDES permit. The abandoned well shall be closed in a manner that prevents fluid movement that may cause a violation of the State primary drinking water rules under N.J.A.C. 7:10 or the Ground Water Quality Standards under N.J.A.C. 7:9C, or may adversely affect public health or safety.

2. Placement of the cement plugs shall be accomplished by one of the following:

i. The balance method;

ii. The dump bailer method;

iii. The two-plug method; or

iv. Any other method acceptable to the Department and the EPA that is at least as protective of the ground water as the methods listed in (d)2i through iii.

3. The abandoned well shall be in a state of static equilibrium with the mud weight equalized top to bottom, either by circulating the mud in the well at least once or by a comparable method prescribed by the Department, prior to the placement of the cement plug(s).

4. The plugging and abandonment plan required under 7:14A-8.9(a) 6 and 8.10(a) 5 shall, in the case of a Class III well field, also demonstrate that no movement of contaminants from the mined zone into an underground source of drinking water will occur. The Department shall prescribe aquifer cleanup and monitoring where necessary and feasible to ensure that no migration of contaminants from the mined zone into an underground source of drinking water will occur.

5. The Department shall require a permittee to monitor and submit reports for a period of time after the well has been plugged and abandoned.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:14A-8.12

Administrative correction and change.
See: 38 N.J.R. 1445(a).
Amended by R.2009 d.7, effective 1/5/2009.
See: 40 N.J.R. 1478(a), 41 N.J.R. 142(a).
In the introductory paragraph of (d), substituted "and IV" for "IV and V" and inserted "(for requirements applicable to Class V wells, see N.J.A.C. 7:14A-8.16(d))"; and rewrote (d)1.