Closure of a Class V Injection Well

Section 704 Section 704.289  Closure of a Class V Injection Well The following describes the requirements for closing or converting a Class V injection well: a)         Closure 1)         Prior to closing a Class V large-capacity cesspool or motor vehicle waste disposal well, the owner or operator must plug or otherwise close the well in a manner that complies with the prohibition of fluid movement set forth in Section 704.122 and summarized in Section 704.282(a).  The owner or operator must also dispose of or otherwise manage any soil, gravel, sludge, liquids, or other materials removed from or adjacent to the well in accordance with all applicable federal, State, and local regulations and requirements, as described in Section 704.282(b). 2)         Closure does not mean that the owner or operator needs to cease operations at its facility, only that the owner or operator needs to close its well.  A number of alternatives are available for disposing of waste fluids.  Examples of alternatives that may be available to motor vehicle stations include the following:  recycling and reusing wastewater as much as possible; collecting and recycling petroleum-based fluids, coolants, and battery acids drained from vehicles; washing parts in a self-contained, recirculating solvent sink, with spent solvents being recovered and replaced by the supplier; using absorbents to clean up minor leaks and spills, and placing the used materials in approved waste containers and disposing of them properly; using a wet vacuum or mop to pick up accumulated rain or snow melt, and if allowed, connecting floor drains to a municipal sewer system or holding tank, and if allowed, disposing of the holding tank contents through a publicly owned treatment works (POTW).  The owner or operator should check with the POTW that it might use to see if the POTW would accept the owner's or operator's wastes.  Alternatives that may be available to owners and operators of a large-capacity cesspool include the following:  conversion to a septic system; connection to a sewer; or installation of an on-site treatment unit. b)         Conversions.  In limited cases, the Agency may authorize the conversion (reclassification) of a motor vehicle waste disposal well to another type of Class V well.  Motor vehicle wells may only be converted if the two conditions of subsections (b)(1) and (b)(2) are fulfilled, subject to the conditions of subsection (b)(3): 1)         All motor vehicle fluids are segregated by physical barriers and are not allowed to enter the well; and 2)         Injection of motor vehicle waste is unlikely based on a facility's compliance history and records showing proper waste disposal. 3)         The use of a semi-permanent plug as the means to segregate waste is not sufficient to convert a motor vehicle waste disposal well to another type of Class V injection well. BOARD NOTE:  Derived from 40 CFR 144.89 (2017).