S.C. Code Regs. § ch. 61, 61-87, 61-87.11

Current through Register Vol. 48, 12, December 27, 2024

Subchapter 61-87.11 - Classification and Regulation of Injection Wells

A. Class I.

(1) This class applies to industrial, municipal and other injection wells for disposing of fluids into the subsurface or ground water and includes:

(a) Industrial disposal wells for disposing of waste other than hazardous or radioactive waste;

(b) Municipal or privately owned disposal wells for disposing of domestic sewage or other waste not hazardous or radioactive.

(c) Wells used by generators of hazardous waste or owners or operators of hazardous waste management facilities to inject hazardous waste;

(2) No person shall construct, operate or use a well of this Class for injection.

B. Class II.

(1) This Class applies to wells which inject fluids:

(a) Which are brought to the surface in connection with conventional oil or natural gas production and may be commingled with waste waters from gas plants which are an integral part of production operations, unless those waters are classified as a hazardous waste at the time of injection;

(b) For enhanced recovery of oil or natural gas; and,

(c) For storage of hydrocarbons which are liquid at standard temperature and pressure.

(2) No person shall construct, use, or operate a well of this Class for injection except as authorized by a permit issued by the Department. A mining permit issued by the Department may be necessary before petroleum exploration and/or production is initiated.

C. Class III.

(1) This Class applies to special process wells which use injection for extraction of minerals and includes but is not limited to:

(a) Mining of sulfur by the Frasch process;

(b) In-situ production of uranium or other metals;

(c) Solution mining of salts or potash;

(d) In-situ recovery of lignite, coal, tar sands, and oil shale.

(2) No person shall construct, use, or operate a well of this Class for injection except as authorized by a permit issued by the Department. A mining permit issued by the Department may be necessary before mineral extraction is initiated.

D. Class IV.

(1) This Class applies to injection wells for disposing of hazardous or radioactive waste into the subsurface or ground water and includes those injection wells used by:

(a) Generators of hazardous or radioactive wastes;

(b) Owners or operators of hazardous waste management facilities or radioactive waste disposal sites.

(2) No person shall construct, use or operate a well of this class for injection:

(a) Except owners or operators of contaminated ground water remedial systems treating groundwater to be injected into the same formation from which it was drawn are authorized by rule for the life of the well if subsurface emplacement of fluids is approved by EPA, or the Department, pursuant to provisions for cleanup of releases under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9601 - 9675, or pursuant to requirements and provisions under the Resource and Conservation Act (RCRA), 42 U.S.C. 6901 - 6992 k;

(b) In violation of R61-87.5.

E. Class V.A.

(1) This Class applies to all injection wells not included in Class I, II, III, and IV and V.B. and includes but is not limited to:

(a) Drainage wells used to drain storm runoff into a subsurface formation;

(b) Recharge wells used to replenish the water in an aquifer;

(c) Salt-water intrusion barrier wells used to inject water into a fresh water aquifer to prevent the intrusion of salt water into the fresh water;

(d) Subsidence control wells (Not used for the purpose of oil or natural gas production) used to inject fluids into a non-oil or gas producing zone to reduce or eliminate subsidence associated with the overdraft of fresh water;

(e) Sand backfill and other backfill wells used to inject a mixture of water and sand, mill tailings or other solids into mined-out portions of subsurface mines;

(f) Injection wells associated with the recovery of geothermal energy of heating, aquaculture or production of electric power;

(g) Injection wells used in experimental technologies;

(h) Natural gas storage wells;

(i) Corrective action wells used to inject groundwater associated with aquifer remediation;

(j) Septic system wells used to inject the waste or effluent from a multiple dwelling, business establishment, community, or regional business establishment septic tank;

(k) Large capacity cesspools including multiple dwelling, community or regional cesspools, or other devices that receive sanitary wastes which have an open bottom and sometimes perforated sides. The UIC requirements do not apply to single family residential cesspools nor to non residential cesspools which receive sanitary waste and have the capacity to serve fewer than 20 persons a day;

(l) Motor vehicle waste disposal wells that receive or have received fluids from vehicular repair or maintenance activities.

(2) No person shall construct, use or operate a well of this Class for injection:

(a) Except as authorized by a permit issued by the Department as provided by these regulations;

(b) In violation of R61-87.5.

(3) No person shall construct, use or operate:

(a) Large capacity cesspools including multiple dwelling, community or regional cesspools, or other devices that receive sanitary wastes which have an open bottom and sometimes perforated sides. The UIC requirements do not apply to single family residential cesspools nor to non residential cesspools which receive sanitary waste and have the capacity to serve fewer than 20 persons a day;

(b) Motor vehicle waste disposal wells that receive or have received fluids from vehicular repair or maintenance activities.

F. Class V. B.

(1) This Class applies to all injection wells used to return to the supply aquifer the water which has passed through a non-contact system and includes, but is not limited to:

(a) Heat pump return flow wells;

(b) Cooling water return flow wells.

(2) This Class is authorized by rule and does not require a permit, however, no person shall construct, use or operate a well of this Class for injection in violation of R61-87.5.

(3) Reporting requirements: All Class V. B. well owners or operators shall report to the Department no later than one year after the effective date of these regulations for existing wells of this Class, and no later than thirty days for new wells of this Class, on forms provided by the Department or on an alternative approved form the following information:

(a) Facility name and location description with direction and distance from two nearby map reference points;

(b) Name and mailing address of facility owner;

(c) Name and mailing address of facility operator;

(d) Nature and type of injection facility and well(s) including drawings of the surface and subsurface construction details of the well(s);

(e) Operating status of the injection facility and well(s).

(4) Failure to submit information to the Department regarding R.61-78(f)(3)(f)(3)will result in the prohibition from injecting until the reporting requirements are satisfied.

S.C. Code Regs. ch. 61, 61-87, 61-87.11

Added by State Register Volume 7, Issue No. 6, eff June 24, 1983. Amended by State Register Volume 14, Issue No. 3, eff March 23, 1990; State Register Volume 24, Issue No. 11, eff November 24, 2000.