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Illinois Underground Injection Control Program
Class V Mutual Benefits Agreement Project:
A Joint State & Federal Effort
A Joint State & Federal Effort
About The Project |
About the Project
How To Inventory A Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal Well |
Project Overview |
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EPA found MVWDWs to be a danger to ground water resources nationwide
and required that they be controlled under the UIC program’s
Class V rule.
Illinois EPA, who has UIC program authority in Illinois, showed
little progress toward controlling these types of wells due to lack of
program resources. This project is a joint effort of Illinois EPA and
EPA to find and close Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal Wells (MVWDWs) in Illinois.
The project is innovative in nature and seeks to effectively leverage
resources to fill current resource gaps. Under the project, EPA agreed
to act as a designated agent of Illinois EPA. In this capacity, EPA will
perform inventory collection, review closure plans, and oversee the closures
of MVWDWs in Illinois. The project will use innovation through establishing
partnerships, encouraging voluntary compliance, promoting self-certification,
developing and using various compliance assistance tools, and providing
education and outreach.
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Project Focus |
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Initial work will focus on
Source Water Protection Areas (SWPAs).
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Project Cornerstones |
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The cornerstones of the project are voluntary compliance and self-certification.
In order to achieve this, EPA and Illinois EPA are working with trade
associations, providing education and outreach and also providing compliance
assistance to the regulated community. EPA will work through such organizations
as the
Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association -
Illinois Association of C-Stores
and the Illinois Petroleum
Council to increase awareness of UIC requirements and the risks associated
with underground disposal of motor vehicle waste.
The project welcomes cooperation from members of the regulated community. EPA’s Voluntary Environmental Self-Policing and Self-Disclosure Policy Statement will help provide the basis for incentives to regulated businesses. EPA is interested in working with businesses that are willing to act responsibly by detecting, disclosing, and correcting violations and potential problems. Through voluntary compliance, EPA can help businesses inventory and close their wells in exchange for safer, alternative methods of waste management and disposal. In the process, businesses can also minimize waste, recycle more, help safeguard community health and the environment, and protect the value of their business. If you have a well, click here to find out what you need to do to meet UIC program requirements. |
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Project Background |
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| Illinois EPA, who maintains primacy for the UIC program, had been unsuccessful with implementing an effective program for controlling high risk Class V waste disposal wells. Illinois EPA attributed their lack of success to inadequate resources which is a nationwide problem even for the most successful UIC Class V programs. Illinois EPA attempted to return the UIC program in 1992 but later negotiated to retain primacy with the resource issue being left largely unresolved. The situation was further compounded when EPA promulgated new requirements for MVWDWs which became a national priority based on environmental risk. The new requirements placed additional burden on the state to regulate with no additional resources. Illinois EPA informed Region 5 EPA that it was unable to meet the new requirements. In an effort to help build state capacity and increase the state’s ability to retain primacy, EPA and Illinois EPA entered into two consecutive innovation agreements. The first, which was scheduled to end January 1, 2004, ended with limited results but with great optimism that the two agencies could work in partnership to leverage available resources and achieve environmental results. Thus, EPA and Illinois EPA entered into a second agreement under which the Illinois UIC Class V Mutual Benefits Agreement Project was established. | |
Summarized Project Workplan |
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| The summarized project workplan provides more information about project goals, measures of success, and strategies for achieving results. | |
Supporting Agency Goals |
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This project supports the following agency goals. EPA National Goal “Clean Safe Water” EPA, Region 5, Water Division Goal
“All people in Region 5 served by public water supplies have water that is consistently safe to drink.” UIC Program Goal “Prevent fluids containing a contaminant, whose presence may cause a violation of drinking water standards or adversely affect the health of persons, from moving into underground sources of drinking water as the result of underground injection practices.”
“We see a world that has abundant, safe, and clean water resources—now and in the future.”—EPA, Region 5, Water Division, Vision Statement |
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Contact Information |
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| For more detailed project information, see the summarized project work plan or contact Rebecca Harvey by phone at (312) 886-6594 or by email to Rebecca Harvey (harvey.rebecca@epa.gov). |
