Guidance
This page provides links to the programmatic, technical, and regulatory guidance documents the UIC Program has produced.
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more. Some older documents are of poor quality and may not be accessible. For assistance with these files, contact Roy Simon (simon.roy@epa.gov).
Active UIC Program Guidance Documents
The UIC Program issues numbered Guidance documents. Active guidance documents are those guidances currently being used to assist the regions and states in interpreting the UIC regulations.
Active UIC Program Guidances
| No. |
Title |
| 13 |
RCRA/UIC Interface Issues (PDF)(5 pp, 211K) |
| 14 |
Memorandum of Agreement for the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program (PDF)(20 pp, 978K) |
| 16 |
Attorney General's Statement, Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program (PDF) (2 pp, 88K) |
| 18 |
Definition of a Major Facility (PDF)(4 pp, 131K) |
| 19 |
Guidance for State Submissions Under Section 1425 of SDWA (PDF)(23 pp, 140K) |
| 22 |
Changes to Construction Plans Occurring during the Drilling of a Well (PDF)(4 pp, 277K) |
| 23 |
Corrective Action Requirements (PDF)(4 pp, 147K) |
| 24 |
Permitting Multi-Purpose Wells (PDF)(2 pp, 98K) |
| 25 |
Casing and Cementing Requirements for Existing Class II Wells (PDF)(4 pp, 149K) |
| 26 |
Five-Year Review of Class II and III Permits (PDF)(2pp, 89K) |
| 27 |
Requirements Applicable to Wells Injecting into, through, or above an Aquifer which has been Exempted Pursuant to § 146.04(b)(4) (PDF)(2pp, 91K) |
| 28 |
Appropriate Classification and Regulatory Treatment of Experimental Technologies (PDF)(4 pp, 287K) |
| 29 |
Consolidation of Permitting Procedures for Multiple Wells (PDF)(4 pp, 182K) |
| 30 |
Interim Guidance for Overview of the UIC Program (PDF)(19 pp, 932K) |
| 33 |
Guidance for UIC Implementation on Indian Lands - Part 1 - Public Notification and Hearing Schedule (PDF)(8 pp, 474K) |
| 34 |
Guidance for Review and Approval of state UIC Programs and Revisions to Approved State Programs (PDF)(28 pp, 192K) |
| 37 |
Maximum Injection Pressure Requirements for Class II Enhanced Recovery Wells and Wells Disposing of Produced Brines (PDF)(9 pp, 281K) |
| 38 |
Casing and Cementing Requirements for Enhanced Recovery and Hydrocarbon Storage Wells (PDF)(5 pp, 300K) |
| 39 |
Guidance for Financial Assurance for Federally-Administered UIC Programs (PDF)(5 pp, 250K) |
| 42 |
UIC Grant Guidance, FY 1986 (PDF)(24 pp, 2754K) |
| 45 |
Interim Guidance Concerning Corrective Action for Prior and Continuing Releases (PDF)(12 pp, 759K) |
| 46 |
Class I Permit Conditions Guidance (PDF)(10 pp, 562K) |
| 49 |
UIC Permit Appeals Procedures (PDF)(2 pp, 132K) |
| 55 |
Assuring Continued Compliance of Rule Authorized Class II Wells in Primacy and DI States (PDF)(23 pp, 1007K) |
| 57 |
Draft of the RCRA Authority/Corrective Action Guidance (PDF)(12 pp, 313K) |
| 58 |
Procedure for Interpreting Whether or Not a MIT Failure or Excess Injection Pressure is Reported as Significant Non-compliance (PDF)(7 pp, 172K) |
| 61 |
Justifying Alternative Methods to Prove Mechanical Integrity Pursuant to 40 CFR Section 146.8(d) (PDF)(6 pp, 512K) |
| 62 |
Identifying and Prioritizing Enforcement Cases at Class V Wells and Available Enforcement Options (PDF)(10 pp, 167K) |
| 64 |
Annual Compliance Review of Wells Permitted or Authorized by Rule under the UIC Program (PDF)(6 pp, 414K) |
| 65 |
Guidance for Financial Responsibility in Federally-Administered UIC Class II Programs (PDF)(35 pp, 964K) |
| 67 |
Revised Owner/Operator Handbook for Class II Financial Responsibility Demonstrations (PDF)(27 pp, 688K) |
| 69 |
Guidance for Case-by-Case Extension Petitions for Class I Hazardous Waste Injection Wells with Submitted No Migration Petitions (PDF)(5 pp, 184K) |
| 71 |
Determination of "Hazardous Levels" for "No Migration" Demonstrations Pursuant to 40 CFR Section 148.20 (PDF)(51 pp, 177K) |
| 72 |
Tracking Compliance with Administrative Orders in the PWSS and UIC Programs (PDF)(4 pp, 150K) |
| 73 |
Incorporation of UIC "No Migration" Petition Conditions into Class I Hazardous Waste Injection Well Permits (PDF)(4 pp, 150K) |
| 74 |
Modification of Class I Hazardous Waste Injection Well "No Migration" Exemptions (PDF)(8 pp, 369K) |
| 75 |
Final UIC Program Administrative Order Settlement Policy (PDF)(29 pp, 1214K) |
| 76 |
Follow-up to Loss of Mechanical Integrity for Class II Wells (PDF)(7 pp, 426K) |
| 77 |
Operating, Monitoring, and Reporting Guidelines for Class II D Commercial Salt Water Disposal Wells (PDF)(19 pp, 718K) |
| 78 |
Management and Monitoring Requirements for Class II Wells in Temporary Abandoned Status (PDF)(4 pp, 247K) |
| 79 |
Interim Final UIC Program Judicial and Administrative Order Settlement Penalty Policy (PDF) (33 pp, 841K) |
| 80 |
Final Guidance on Emergency Authority Under Section 1431 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (PDF)(42 pp, 1.67MB) |
| 81 |
UIC Class I SNC Redefinition (PDF)(4 pp, 410K) |
| 82 |
Well Classification Guidance for Downhole Hydrocarbon/Water Separators (PDF)(8 pp, 61K) |
Top of page
Technical Memoranda
These memoranda, typically written as follow-up to UIC Program guidance, explain Headquarters’ official interpretation of specific issues related to the implementation of the UIC regulations.
UIC Program Technical Memoranda
| Title |
| Class II Financial Responsibility Documents (PDF) (30 pp, 1.7MB) |
| Assistance on Compliance of 40 CFR Part 191 with Ground Water Protection Standards (PDF) (4 pp, 247K) |
| Ground-Water Protection Policy Pertaining to Underground Injection Control and Related Aspects of the High Plains States Aquifer Recharge Demonstration Program (PDF) (18 pp, 1.18MB) |
| UIC Land Ban Petitions; Common Deficiencies (PDF) (11 pp, 614K) |
| Pollution Prevention Initiative for Class I Hazardous Waste Wells (PDF) (2 pp, 100K) |
| Compliance with §3004(u) and §3005(e) of RCRA (PDF) (11 pp, 733K) |
| Classification of Heating/Air Conditioning Return Flow Systems--UIC Well Classification Advisory # 6 (PDF) (4 pp, 249K) |
| Maximum Injection Pressures for Class II Enhanced Recovery and Hydrocarbon Storage Wells in Rule Authorized Fields (PDF) (3 pp, 184K) |
| Classification of Wells Injecting Treated Stream from Secondary Waste Water Treatment Plant, Commonly Called Secondary Effluent--Region II. UIC Well Classification Advisory # 2 (PDF) (1 pg, 50K) |
| Regulation Interpretation Related to Proper Completion and Proper Plugging and Abandonment (PDF) (2 pp, 89K) |
| Comments on UIC Issues (PDF) (5 pp, 372K) |
| Recurring Problems in State UIC Applications (PDF) (11 pp, 897K) |
| Guidance for Determining Adequacy of State Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program Elements (PDF) (5 pp, 338K) |
| Plugging and Abandonment Plans (PDF) (2 pp, 83K) |
Top of page
Technical Guidance Documents
As regulations were being developed, the UIC Program prepared the following background materials to help it better understand the technical issues that needed to be addressed.
Technical Guidance Documents
| Title |
| Temperature, Radioactive Tracer, and Noise Logging for Injection Well Integrity (PDF) (167 pp, 12.2MB) |
| Technical Assistance Document: Cementing for the Plugging and Abandonment of Injection Wells (PDF) (107 pp, 5.6MB) |
| Survey of Methods to Determine Total Dissolved Solids Concentrations (PDF) (87 pp, 4.7MB) |
| Technical Assistance Document: Corrosion, its Detection and Control in Injection Wells (PDF) (61 pp, 328K) |
| Technical Assistance Document: the Application and Calibration of Pressure Instruments, Flowmeters, and Flow Control Devices as Applied to Injection Wells (PDF) (104 pp, 4.9MB) |
| Final Technical Manual Injection Well Abandonment (PDF) (56 pp, 3.5MB) |
| An Introduction to the Technology of Subsurface Wastewater Injection (PDF) (356 pp, 22.5MB) |
Top of page
Inactive Guidance Documents
These documents are generally time-specific or were written to clarify a specific enforcement or compliance issue. These documents are inactive and are not available electronically.
Top of page
Historical Guidance Documents
These documents, which have generally been updated by more recent guidances, may contain explanatory background information or context that may be of historical interest or may be referenced in other UIC program materials. These documents are not available electronically.
Top of page
![[logo] US EPA](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090510072908im_/http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}