N.J. Admin. Code § 7:14A-8.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 7:14A-8.2 - Classification of injection wells

(a) Injection wells are classified as Class I, II, II, IV or V, as follows:

1. Class I wells are:

i. Wells used by generators of hazardous wastes or owners or operators of hazardous waste management facilities, or by any other person, to inject hazardous waste beneath the lowermost formation containing an underground source of drinking water; and

ii. Other industrial or municipal disposal wells which inject fluids beneath the lowermost formation containing an underground source of drinking water.

2. Class II wells inject fluids:

i. Which are brought to the surface in connection with conventional oil or natural gas production;

ii. For enhanced recovery of oil or natural gas; or

iii. For storage of hydrocarbons which are liquid at standard temperature and pressure.

3. Class III injection wells are used in processes to extract minerals or energy, including:

i. Mining of sulfur by the Frasch process;

ii. Solution mining of minerals, including sodium chloride, potash, phosphate, copper, uranium and any other minerals which can be mined by this process;

iii. In-situ combustion of fossil fuel, with the term "fossil fuel" including coal, tar sands, oil shale and any other fossil fuel which can be mined by this process; and

iv. Wells used in the recovery of geothermal energy to produce electric power, but not including wells used in heating or aquaculture, which fall under Class V.

4. Class IV injection wells are used by generators of hazardous wastes or of radioactive wastes, by owners or operators of hazardous waste management facilities, by owners or operators of radioactive waste disposal sites, or by any other person to dispose of hazardous wastes or radioactive wastes into or above a formation which, within two miles of the well bore, contains an underground source of drinking water (USDW).

5. Class V injection wells are injection wells not included in Class I, II, III or IV. Examples of Class V wells include:

i. Air conditioning return flow wells used to return the water used for heating or cooling in a heat pump;

ii. Cooling water return flow wells used to inject water previously used for cooling;

iii. Drainage wells used to drain storm runoff into a subsurface formation, except as regulated under Class IV;

iv. Recharge wells used to replenish the water in an aquifer;

v. Salt water intrusion barrier wells used to inject water into a fresh water aquifer to prevent the intrusion of salt water into the fresh water;

vi. Sand backfill wells used to inject a mixture of water and sand, mill tailings or other solids into mined-out portions of subsurface mines;

vii. All septic systems or other subsurface sewage disposal systems other than those excluded under 7:14A-8.1(b)2 ii;

viii. Subsidence control wells (not used for the purpose of oil or natural gas production) used to inject fluids into a non-oil or gas producing zone to reduce or eliminate subsidence associated with the overdraft of fresh water; and

ix. Geothermal wells and ground water heat pumps used in heating and aquaculture.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:14A-8.2