How Does the UIC Program Regulate the Wide Variety of Underground Injection Activities?
The EPA classifies underground injection activities into five classes for regulatory control purposes. An injection well’s classification is determined by its waste stream constituents and its depth of injection relative to the depth of any USDWs near by. Class I wells emplace hazardous and nonhazardous fluids (industrial and municipal wastes) into isolated formations beneath the lowermost USDW. Class I wells that inject hazardous waste, are the most highly regulated well class. They are technically sophisticated and are further regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
