UIC Program Guidance Applicable to All Programs and Well Classes

The technical memorandums and technical guidance documents presented below were developed by the UIC program to inform decision-making, clarify issues and questions, and guide UIC program implementation consistent with the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the federal UIC regulations.  They are applicable to all UIC programs and well classes.

EPA is committed to ensuring that the guidance documents posted here are consistent with the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d).  Please contact Jeff Jollie ([email protected]) if you have any questions or concerns.

• An Introduction to the Technology of Subsurface Wastewater Injection (pdf) (22.06 MB, December 1977)
  Technical document for use by all involved in the planning, design, construction, operation, and abandonment of injection wells. It is intended as a guide and standard for injection well construction and maintenance.
• Memorandum of Agreement for the UIC Program (pdf) (733.57 KB, May 8, 1981)
  Provides the basic requirements and format for developing a memorandum of agreement which will be endorsed by the State director of the UIC program and the Regional Administrator.
• Definition of Major Facilities (pdf) (417.39 KB, May 15,1981)
  Defines which facilities should be classified as major for the purpose of reporting and permitting in the UIC program.
• Guidance for State Submissions Under Section 1425 of the SDWA (pdf) (140.39 KB, May 15,1981)
  Provides guidance on: (1) how States may apply for approval under Section 1425; and (2) the criteria EPA will use in approving or disapproving applications under Section 1425.
• Changes to Construction Plans Occurring During the Drilling of a Well (pdf) (276.1 KB, July 27, 1981)
  Guidance defines how permitting authorities should handle approval of changes to construction plans which may occur during the drilling of a well.
• Corrective Action Requirement (pdf) (146.42 KB, July 27, 1981)
  The purpose of this guidance is to clarify meanings of sections 146.07 and 144.55 related to corrective action.
• Requirements Applicable to Wells Injecting Into Through or Above Exempted Aquifers (pdf) (90.12 KB, July 27, 1981)
  Provides clarification on the applicability of section 122.43 to aquifers that have been exempted because they are subject to catastrophic collapse.
• Procedure for Review of State Primacy Applications (pdf) (3.44 MB)
  Outlines general procedures to guide the state primacy application review process.
• Attorney Generals Statement (pdf) (2.39 MB, July 31, 1981)
  Provides a listing of all the elements considered necessary to demonstrate that the laws of the Stated that seeks to administer a UIC program provide adequate authority to carry out the program as described in the federal UIC regulations.
• Recurring Problems in State UIC Applications (pdf) (896.38 KB, March 9,1982)
  The purpose of this memorandum is to outline the major recurring problems encountered in review of draft and final state UIC primacy applications.
• Guidance Document on Mechanical Integrity Testing of Injection Wells (pdf) (16.36 MB, April 30,1982)
  This guidance addresses making a determination of Part I of Mechanical Integrity (no leaks in the tubing, casing or packer.
• Guidance for Determining Adequacy of State UIC Program Elements (pdf) (337.74 KB, September 13, 1982)
  This memorandum is a follow-up to the March 9, 1982 memo from Victor Kim. Additional primacy review issues are identified, and Agency position clarified.
• Appropriate Classification and Regulatory Treatment of Experimental Technologies (pdf) (286.68 KB, May 31,1983)
  Refers to experimental Class V wells and clarifies the policy that some technologies should revert to their original class when the technology becomes commercially feasible, while others will remain in Class V solely because they meet the general definition of an experimental technology.
• Consolidation of Permitting Procedures From Multiple Wells (pdf) (181.04 KB, May 31,1983)
  Clarifies the extent to which the individual permitting of multiple wells can be consolidated in a single permitting action.
• Interim Guidance for Overview of the UIC Program (pdf) (931.55 KB, June 17,1983)
  Outlines procedures and criteria for effective overview of the UIC program. These procedures may be used by regional programs as they oversee state programs or by HQ for overview of the regional programs.
• Guidance for UIC Implementation on Indian Lands Part I (pdf) (473.68 KB, October 3,1983)
  Provides information on how, when, and where public hearings should be held on Indian land and emphasizes the importance of consultation between the regional offices and tribal governments.
• Guidance for Review and Approval of State UIC Programs and Revisions (pdf) (104.24 KB, July 9,1984)
  Provides guidance to EPA regional offices on the revised process for the approval of state primacy applications and the process for approving modifications in delegated programs, including aquifer exemptions.
• Regulation Interpretation Related to Proper Completion and Proper Plugging and Abandonment (pdf) (88.1 KB, July 31,1984)
  Provides a response to questions asked by regional UIC program directors related to proper completion and proper plugging and abandonment.
• Guidance for Financial Assurance for Federally Administered UIC Programs (pdf) (249.42 KB, May 29,1985)
  Guidance provides flexible criteria to be used by the regions to determine the adequacy of financial responsibility mechanisms provided by the owners and operators to cover plugging and abandonment costs of Class I (non-hazardous, II and III wells.
• Guidance for Phase I Chemical Tests, UIC Quality Assurance Program (pdf) (4.28 MB, August 2,1985)
  This interim guidance for Phase I chemical tests will help UIC programs prepare UIC QA project plans for chemical tests in UIC program.
• Final Technical Manual Injection Well Abandonment (pdf) (3.46 MB, November, 1985)
  Provide technical assistance to regulators in reviewing proposed well abandonment plans.
• Compliance with 3004u and 3005e of RCRA (pdf) (732.93 KB, January 9,1986)
  Memo from EPA's Director of state programs to regional water supply branch chiefs requesting regional programs determine the compliance status of each Class I hazardous waste well in the region, based on 1984 RCRA requirements.
• UIC Permit Appeals Procedures (pdf) (2.1 MB, April 21,1986)
  This memorandum is intended to provide a description of the procedure which will be used for appeals of UIC permits for states with DI UIC programs.
• Corrosion, Its Detection and Control in Injection Wells (pdf) (3.37 MB, August 1987, 570/9-87-002)
  Technical document summarizing information on the occurrence, detection, and control of corrosion.
• Application Calibration of Pressure Instruments Flowmeters Flow Control Devices as Applied to Injection Wells (pdf) (4.81 MB, September 1987)
  This document was prepared to introduce the basic concepts of flow and pressure metering in inject wells. Intended audiences include EPA regulators, state regulators, and the regulated community.
• Procedure for Interpreting Whether MIT Failure or Excess Injection Pressure Is Reported As Significant Noncompliance (pdf) (171.42 KB, September 9, 1987)
  Identifies the review and approval process for any state, industry, or well owner/operator requesting alternate methods to prove injection well mechanical integrity.
• Survey of Methods to Determine Total Dissolved Solids Concentration (pdf) (4.58 MB, September 1988)
  The purpose of this document is to survey the techniques used to identify USDWs via TDS concentration determination.
• Annual Compliance Review of Wells Permitted or Authorized By Rule Under the UIC Program (pdf) (1.73 MB, February 23,1989)
  Describes the elements of a complete compliance determination review which differ from class to class and gives suggestions on the frequency and timing of the reviews.
• Guidance Document on Area of Review Requirement (pdf) (4.14 MB, May,1985)
  Technical document provides guidance on selecting the appropriate method for analyzing the area of review
• Pollution Prevention Initiative for Class I Hazardous Waste Wells (pdf) (99.66 KB, June 30,1989)
  Memo from Michael Cook to Water Division Directors requesting regional offices explore options for including a waste minimization schedule in all new and reissued Class I hazardous waste well permits.
• Cementing for the Plugging and Abandonment of Injection Wells (pdf) (5.51 MB, September 1989)
  Technical document presenting cementing practices for the permanent plugging and abandonment of injection wells. The document was prepared as part of the mid-course evaluation.
• Final Guidance on Emergency Authority Under Section 1431 of SDWA (pdf) (1.67 MB, September 27,1991)
  This guidance is intended to emphasize that SDWA Section 1431 has broad application and provides EPA with an effective tool for handling public health endangerments concerning public water supplies and USDWs.
• Assistance on Compliance of 40 CFR Part 191 with Groundwater Protection Standards (pdf) (246.82 KB, June 4,1993)
  Preliminary information is provided to the OAR regarding the definition of USDW and identifying TDS testing methods.
• Interim Final UIC Program Judicial and Administrative Order Settlement Penalty Policy (pdf) (840.9 KB, September 27, 1993)
  This document sets forth the Agency's policy for establishing appropriate civil judicial and administrative settlement penalties in the UIC Program.
• Temperature Radioactive Tracer and Noise Logging for Well Integrity (pdf) (11.99 MB, July 1994)
  This document presents a discussion of three tools that can be used for determining the mechanical integrity of injection wells.
• Acceptable State UIC Program Work Elements for Public Participation and Information (pdf) (252.98 KB, September 15, 1980)
  This document is intended to be used by primacy application reviewers and identifies acceptable public participation program elements.
• Aquifer Designation and Studies (pdf) (785.62 KB, October 26, 1979)
  This document is intended to use to assist primacy application reviewers and identifies acceptable work plan elements for identifying and characterizing aquifers.