EPA to Relax Rules on Industrial Waste Disposal in Underground Wells

In response to lawsuits by more than 40 corporations and trade associations protesting regulations concerning liquid industrial waste disposal, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it is modifying those regulations.

The changes in the 1979 rules governing waste disposal in underground wells were arrived at after EPA consultation with the firms involved in the lawsuits, which include Arco, Mobil, Shell, and the American Petroleum Institute, and the State of Texas. EPA Administrator Anne M. Gorsuch announced proudly that the modifications should save U.S. business $65 to $75 million over the next five years. "We have agreed upon a streamlined program to protect valuable underground drinking water sources without burdening industry with expensive, unnecessary requirements," she said.

Wells are used to dispose of all types of liquid wastes, including sewage, nuclear and industrial wastes, and by-products associated with oil shale, coal, oil and gas production. These wastes are injected into the wells, and there are more than 650,000 such wells in the U.S. at present, according to EPA estimates. In presenting its original set of regulations, the agency noted, "Underground injection of contaminants is clearly an increasing problem. . .Since more than half of the nation's water supply is drawn from ground water sources, injection is clearly a matter of concern."

The revised EPA regulations do away with certain testing requirements for injection wells, reduce the number and frequency of reports that industries must file, give states leeway to exempt certain areas from protection, and entirely remove the well construction, operation, monitoring, and reporting requirements for some oil shale, geothermal, and mining operations.

- Susan Milligan