Opinion ID: 2804923
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Safe Drinking Water Act’s Regulation of

Text: Underground Injection of Fluids The Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq., empowers EPA to promulgate regulations protecting the quality of drinking water sources in the United States. One of the industrial activities regulated under the statute is the injection of fluids into underground wells, when that injection may endanger the safety of drinking water sources. Id. § 300h(b)(1). To prevent any danger from underground injection of fluids, EPA has promulgated regulations creating “classes” of underground injection control wells, each with different construction and use requirements, and each authorized to receive different kinds of fluids under different circumstances. See 40 C.F.R. § 144.6 (describing the classes of wells). For example, Class I wells are the most secure and can be used for the injection of hazardous and radioactive waste. Class II wells are used for natural gas storage operations or oil or natural gas production. See id. This case involves the recently created “Class VI” well, which EPA created for carbon capture and storage operations involving the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. Any well owner or operator who seeks to inject fluids underground must meet the permitting requirements for the kind of injection well they intend to operate.