New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 7 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Chapter 14A - NEW JERSEY POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM › Subchapter 8 - ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL (UIC) PROGRAM › Section 7:14A-8.13 - Specific operating criteria and construction standards applicable to Class I wells

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) This section
				establishes the operating criteria and construction standards for Class I wells
				disposing of municipal and/or industrial wastes (other than hazardous wastes or
				radioactive wastes), where the injection stream quality meets limits
				established in an individual UIC permit based on primary drinking water
				standards or applicable ground water quality standards, including
				anti-degradation or non-degradation policies.
(b) Construction requirements for Class I
				wells are as follows:
1. Class I wells shall,
				at a minimum, be constructed in accordance with the requirements and
				specifications set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:9D. More stringent requirements will be
				imposed, based on an evaluation of the nature of the injection fluid and/or of
				geological conditions, or where the Department otherwise determines that it is
				appropriate.
2. All Class I wells
				shall be cased and cemented to prevent the movement of fluids into or between
				underground sources of drinking water. The casing and cement used in the
				construction of each newly drilled well shall be designed for the life
				expectancy of the well. In determining and specifying casing and cementing
				requirements, the following factors shall be considered:
i. Depth to injection zone;
ii. Injection pressure, external pressure,
				internal pressure, and axial loading;
iii. Hole size;
iv. Size and grade of all casing strings
				(wall thickness, diameter, nominal weight, length, joint specifications, and
				construction material);
v.
				Corrosiveness of injected fluid, formation fluids, and temperatures;
vi. Lithology of injection and confining
				intervals; and
vii. Type and grade
				of cement.
3. All Class
				I injection wells shall inject fluids through tubing with a packer set
				immediately above the injection zone, or tubing with an approved fluid seal as
				an alternative. The tubing, packer, and fluid seal shall be designed for the
				expected service.
i. To obtain approval of
				the use of an alternative to a packer, the operator of the injection well shall
				submit a written request to the Department, which shall set forth the proposed
				alternative and all technical data supporting its use. The Department shall
				approve the request if the alternative method will reliably provide a
				comparable level of protection to underground sources of drinking water. The
				Department may approve an alternative method solely for an individual well or
				for general use.
ii. In determining
				and specifying requirements for tubing, packer, or alternatives the following
				factors shall be considered:
(1) The depth of
				setting;
(2) The characteristics of
				injection fluid (chemical content, corrosiveness, and density);
(3) The injection pressure;
(4) The annular pressure;
(5) The rate, temperature and volume of
				injected fluids; and
(6) The size
				of casing.
4.
				Appropriate logs and other tests shall be conducted during the drilling and
				construction of new Class I wells. A descriptive report interpreting the
				results of such logs and tests shall be prepared by a qualified log analyst and
				submitted to the Department. At a minimum, such logs and tests shall include:
i. Deviation checks on all holes constructed
				by first drilling a pilot hole, and then enlarging the pilot hole by reaming or
				another method. Such checks shall be at sufficiently frequent intervals to
				ensure that vertical avenues for fluid migration in the form of diverging holes
				are not created during drilling; and
ii. Such other logs and tests as may be
				needed after taking into account the availability of similar data in the area
				of the drilling site, the construction plan, and the need for additional
				information, that may arise from time to time as the construction of the well
				progresses. For surface casings and for intermediate and long strings of
				casings, the following logs shall be used:
(1) For surface casing intended to protect
				underground sources of drinking water:
(A)
				Resistivity, spontaneous potential, gamma ray, and caliper logs before the
				casing is installed; and
(B) A
				cement bond, temperature, or density log after the casing is set and
				cemented.
(2) For
				intermediate and long strings of casing intended to facilitate injection:
(A) Resistivity, spontaneous potential,
				porosity, and gamma ray logs before the casing is installed;
(B) Fracture finder logs; and
(C) A cement bond, temperature, or density
				log after the casing is set and cemented.
5. At a minimum, the following
				information concerning the injection formation shall be determined or
				calculated for new Class I wells:
i. Fluid
				pressure;
ii.
				Temperature;
iii. Fracture
				pressure;
iv. Other physical and
				chemical characteristics of the injection zone; and
v. Physical and chemical characteristics of
				the formation fluids.