| Rule Number: |
14P009 |
| Title: |
Environmental Protection Rules, Chapter 11, Underground Injection Control Regulations. |
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Type:
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Standard |
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Status:
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Adopted |
| Agency: |
Agency of Natural Resources
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| Legal Authority: |
10 V.S.A. § 1251a(a) |
| Summary:
| Vermont's Underground Injection Control (UIC) Rules, adopted in 1984, are being rewritten and updated. The UIC Program, mandated by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, protects groundwater and human health, by prohibiting certain types of discharges to groundwater and requiring permits for other discharges to injection wells. Vermont's definition of an injection well is very broad and could result in a program that would regulate low risk discharges from residential foundation drains, roadside ditches and other holes in the ground. To avoid unreasonable and unnecessary regulation, the revised rules will only regulate activities that pose a moderate or high risk to groundwater. Major additions to the amended rules include technical standards, detailed application requirements, and permitting exemptions. |
| Persons Affected:
| People: All users of drinking water systems (public and private) served by groundwater. Enterprises: Owners of injection wells receiving industrial wastes; vehicle repair and maintenance businesses; vehicle salvage and recycling facilities; dry cleaners, photo finishers and funeral homes; hardware stores, educational institutions, pest control, and landscaping/lawn maintenance businesses; quarries using perchlorate as a blasting agent; industries and electrical power generators with boiler and/or cooling tower blowdown; mineral processors e.g. marble industry; users of open loop geothermal; commercial car washes; sand/gravel mining operations, and mining waste producers (granite, marble, limestone, slate). Government: Vermont Agency of Transportation; Burlington International Airport; Colleges and Schools; and Municipal Departments of Public Works. Major sectors not impacted by the revised UIC rules are residential homeowners and agricultural operations, due to a lack of jurisdiction. |
| Economic Impact:
| Two-thirds of Vermonters obtain their drinking water from groundwater sources and would benefit from increased human health and source protection afforded by the revised UIC Rules. High risk discharges would be prohibited; savings would be achieved because low risk discharges would no longer need UIC permits; conditional exemptions would be allowed including those for open loop geothermal wells; activities requiring permits would be clarified; and technical requirements missing in the current Rules would be provided. Discharges to groundwater from vehicle repair and maintenance activities are prohibited by Federal law. Statewide compliance costs are estimated at $125,000 for the 250 floor drains requiring closure and $600,000 for replacement with holding tanks. Alternatively, if there is a nearby sewer, the average connection cost is $1,600 with an associated typical wastewater user fee of $0.005/gallon. Permitting costs would be similar for both the existing and proposed Rules. |
| Posting date: |
Feb 26,2014 |
| Information for Contact # 1 |
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Level:
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Primary
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| Name: |
Cynthia A. Parks |
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Agency:
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Department of Environmental Conservation, Agency of Natural Resources
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| Address: |
1 National Life Drive - Main 2 |
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| City: |
Montpelier |
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| State: |
VT |
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| Zip: |
05620-3521 |
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| Telephone: |
802-585-4913 |
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| Fax: |
802-828-1541 |
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Email: |
cynthia.parks@state.vt.us
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| Website Address: |
http://wastewater.vt.gov/rules.htm
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| Information for Contact # 2 |
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Level:
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Secondary
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| Name: |
John J. Akielaszek |
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Agency:
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Department of Environmental Conservation, Agency of Natural Resources
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| Address: |
1 National Life Drive - Main 2 |
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| City: |
Montpelier |
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| State: |
VT |
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| Zip: |
05620-3521 |
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| Telephone: |
802-585-4908 |
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| Fax: |
802-828-1541 |
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Email: |
john.akielaszek@state.vt.us
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