Underground Injection Control (UIC)

Program


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  • General Information
  • Contact Information
  • UIC Forms, Procedures and Guidance Documents
  • Regulations
  • Permit Process Flow Chart (Simplified Version)
  • Class I Injection Wells - Discussion Paper Addressing Earthquakes UICI-IP-1 (.pdf)
  • Links
  • Upcoming Seminars, Expos, Conferences and Workshops
    • Geology Section Fall 2013 Seminar, September 5, 2013 (NEW) 3/13/2013 - Details in Near Future
    • Geology Section Fall 2012 Seminar, held on 9-6-12, Wichita, KS
  • KDHE Certified Laboratories Listing
  • Class I Disposal Well Consultants
  • Records Request Form (.pdf)
  • Draft Permits
     - Kanza Cooperative Association (NEW) 5/1/2013
    •  - North American Salt Company (NEW) 5/15/2013

    Information

    The UIC Program at KDHE is administered by the UIC Unit within the Geology Section. The purpose of the UIC Program is to protect public health and safety, and the environment from injection activities. Injection well activities include the disposal of industrial waste into deep geologic formations, the solution mining of salt formations and the shallow injection of a variety of nonhazardous fluids below the land's surface.

    The UIC program categorizes injection wells into five classes of wells. These are:

    • Class I:Wells used to inject hazardous wastes or dispose of industrial and municipal fluids beneath the lowermost formation containing, within one quarter (1/4) mile of the well bore, a source of fresh or usable water.
    • Class II: Wells used to inject fluids associated with the production of oil and natural gas or fluids/compounds used for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery. These wells normally inject below the lower-most fresh or usable water bearing zone except in cases where this zone is hydrocarbon producing. These wells are regulated by the Kansas Corporation Commission. The contact for the KCC is (316) 337-6197.
    • Class III: Wells which inject fluids for the extraction of minerals.>
    • Class IV: Wells which dispose of hazardous or radioactive wastes into or above a fresh or usable water bearing zone. Class IV wells are prohibited.

    • Class V: A Class V well is a system used to inject non-hazardous fluids underground. Fluids are injected either into or above an underground source of drinking water. This diverse group ranges from simple shallow wells to complex experimental injection technologies.

      Most Class V wells are "low-tech" and depend on gravity to drain fluids directly below the land surface. Drywells, cesspools, and septic system leach fields are examples of simple Class V wells. Because their construction often provides little or no pretreatment and these fluids are injected directly into or above an underground source of drinking water, proper management is important.

      More sophisticated Class V wells may rely on gravity or use pressure systems for fluid injection. Some sophisticated systems include advanced wastewater disposal systems used by industry, experimental wells used to test new or unproven technologies, and even systems used to inject and store water for later reuse.

    • Class VI: Wells which inject carbon dioxide for long term storage also known as geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. These wells are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region #7. The contact for EPA is (913) 551-7159.

    UIC Forms, Procedures and Guidance Documents

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    Regulations

    In summary, one needs at this time both the 2009 KAR book and the 2011 Supplemental to have the UIC Article 46 regulations that are in effect. If a regulation is in both the 2009 KAR book and the 2011 Supplemental, then the 2011 Supplemental is the most current regulation.  For example, KAR 28-46-26a Prohibited Class V wells is found only in the in the 2009 KAR book and is therefore the regulation in effect.  Regulation 28-46-2a is in both the 2009 KAR book and the 2011 Supplemental so the 2011 Supplemental version of 28-46-2a would then be the regulation in effect.

    Contact Information:

    Class I, III, and V

    Cynthia Khan, Professional Geologist, (785) 296-5554
    Fax:  (785) 296-5509
    Mailing Address:  KDHE - Geology, 1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 420, Topeka, KS 66612-1367

    Links:

    Upcoming Seminars, Expos, Conferences and Workshops

    • Geology Section Fall 2013 Seminar, September 5, 2013 (NEW) 3/13/2013 - Details in Near Future