Texas Administrative Code › Title 30 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Part 1 - TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Chapter 331 - UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL › Subchapter A - GENERAL PROVISIONS › Section 331.7 - Permit Required

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) Except as
				  provided in §
										331.9
				  of this title (relating to Injection Authorized by Rule) and by subsections (d)
				  and (e) of this section, all injection wells and activities must be authorized
				  by an individual permit.
(b) For
				  Class III
in situ
uranium solution mining wells, Frasch sulfur
				  wells, and other Class III operations under commission jurisdiction, an area
				  permit authorizing more than one well may be issued for a defined permit area
				  in which wells of similar design and operation are proposed. The wells must be
				  operated by a single owner or operator. Before commencing operation of those
				  wells, the permittee may be required to obtain a production area authorization
				  for separate production or mining areas within the permit area.
(c) The owner or operator of a large capacity
				  septic system, a septic system which accepts industrial waste, or a subsurface
				  area drip dispersal system, as defined in §
										222.5 of
				  this title (relating to Definitions) must obtain a wastewater discharge permit
				  in accordance with Texas Water Code, Chapter 26 or Chapters 26 and 32, and
				  Chapter 305 of this title (relating to Consolidated Permits), and must submit
				  the inventory information required under §
										331.10
				  of this title (relating to Inventory of Wells Authorized by Rule).
(d) The commission may issue a general permit
				  under Subchapter L of this chapter. The commission may determine that an
				  injection well and the injection activities are more appropriately regulated
				  under an individual permit than under a general permit based on findings that
				  the general permit will not protect ground and surface fresh water from
				  pollution due to site-specific conditions.
(e) Regardless of subsection (a) of this
				  section, an injection well authorized by the Railroad Commission of Texas to
				  use nonhazardous desalination concentrate or nonhazardous drinking water
				  treatment residuals as an injection fluid for enhanced recovery purposes does
				  not require a permit from the commission. The use or disposal of radioactive
				  material under this subsection is subject to the applicable requirements of
				  Chapter 336 of this title.
(f)
				  Permits issued before September 1, 2007 for Class III wells for uranium mining
				  will expire on September 1, 2012 unless the permit holder submits an
				  application for permit renewal under §
										305.65 of this
				  title (relating to Renewal) before September 1, 2012. Any holders of permits
				  for Class III wells for uranium mining issued before September 1, 2007 who
				  allow those permits to expire by not submitting a permit renewal application by
				  September 1, 2012 are not relieved from the obligations under the expired
				  permit or applicable rules, including obligations to restore groundwater and to
				  plug and abandon wells in accordance with the requirements of the permit and
				  applicable rules.
(g) Class V
				  injection wells associated with an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) project
				  or an aquifer recharge project may be authorized by individual permit, general
				  permit, or by rule. The executive director will notify a groundwater
				  conservation district of an ASR project proposed to be authorized by rule that
				  is located within the jurisdictional boundary of that groundwater conservation
				  district.