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Evaluation of Underground Injection of Industrial Waste to Illinois

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Evaluation of Underground Injection of Industrial Waste to Illinois EVALUATION OF UNDERGROUND INJECTION OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE IN ILLINOIS Ross D. Brower Ivan G. Krapac and Bruce R. Hensel Illinois State Geological Survey 615 East Peabody Drive Champaign, Illinois Adrian P. Visocky Gary R. Peyton and John S. Nealon Illinois State Water Survey 2204 Griffith Drive Champaign, Illinois Mark Guthrie Engineering-Science Incorporated Atlanta, Georgia Department of Energy and Natural Resources Illinois State Geological Survey Illinois State Water Survey Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center ILLINOIS STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 615 East Peabody Drive Champaign, Illinois Printed by the authority of the State of Illinois 1989/1100 CONTENTS Executive Summary ES-1 Introduction I-1 Background I-1 Scope of Study I-3 Regulatory Structure Related to Waste Disposal I-4 1 Regulations and Permitting Practices 1-1 Illinois Pollution Control Board Regulations 1-1 Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Practices 1-2 Standard and Special Conditions for UIC Permits 1-4 Effects of 1984 RCRA Amendments on Hazardous Waste Injection 1-6 Comments and Suggestions on Specific Regulatory Practices 1-7 Selected Definitions and Terms 1-7 Classification of Injection Wells 1-9 2 Geologic Environment 2-1 Geologic Framework of Illinois: An Overview 2-1 Units Containing Currently Used or Potential Disposal Zones 2-4 Geologic Characteristics Critical to Siting/Operating Injection Wells 2-27 Risks of Disposal in the Subsurface Geologic Environment 2-42 3 Illinois Disposal Facilities: Wells, Wastes, Problems 3-1 General Information About Disposal Wells 3-1 Operational Problems at Illinois UIC Facilities 3-3 Characterization of Injected Wastes 3-19 Potential for Contamination of Shallow Aquifers from Surface Spills 3-23 4 Fate of Injected Wastes 4-1 Mobility of Injected Wastes 4-1 Interactions Between Injected Wastes and Formations 4-3 Interactions Between Injected Wastes and Interstitial Waters 4-5 Monitoring of Injected Wastes 4-6 Problems Associated with Monitoring Wells 4-8 Wastestream Classification and Toxicity Determination 4-10 Potential Hazards of Deep Well Injection 4-11 5 UIC Programs in the United States 5-1 Current Status of Class I Wells in Illinois 5-1 UIC Programs in Other States 5-2 Comparison of Illinois UIC Program with UIC Programs in Other States 5-7 Trends in Underground Injection Practices 5-7 6 Unresolved Issues Concerning Illinois Deep Well Disposal 6-1 Theories on Blowouts in Illinois 6-1 Packer Versus Packerless Design 6-4 Injection into Formations with Higher Head Than Overlying USDW 6-7 Area of Review and Monitoring: Concerns and Recommendations 6-9 7 Evaluation of Alternatives to Direct Injection Well Disposal 7-1 Introduction 7-1 Characteristics of Illinois Injection Well Wastes 7-1 Identification of Alternative Disposal Options 7-2 Treatment Requirements for Disposal Options 7-5 Alternative Treatment Technologies for Waste-Type Categories 7-6 Assumptions and Costs Associated with Treatment Technologies 7-12 Potential Societal/Environmental Impact of UIC Regulation Changes Related to Alternative Treatment/Disposal Methods 7-20 Potential Impacts of UIC Regulation Changes on Industries Using Class I Disposal Wells in Illinois 7-22 Summary: Impacts of Disposal Options 7-24 8 Conclusions and Recommendations 8-1 Major Conclusions 8-1 Geologic Conditions Affecting Deep Well Injection 8-2 Fate of Wastes in the Disposal Zone: Knowns and Unknowns 8-2 Comparative Risks, Benefits, and Costs of Alternative Disposal Options 8-4 Recommendations Resulting from This Study 8-5 Appendix: Summary of Injection Waste Composition at the Seven Illinois Injection Well Facilities A-1 Tables 2-1 Geologic units with significant potential for disposal zones, and primary confining intervals 2-26 2-2 Modified Mercalli Scale for measuring earthquake intensity 2-37 3-1 Summary: Waste currently disposed of in Class I injection wells 3-20 5-1 Status of primacy for states with Class I wells 5-4 5-2 Summary: UIC programs for Class I wells in primacy states 5-5 7-1 Waste categories produced by selected industries 7-3 7-2 Illinois drinking water standards 7-4 7-3 Illinois effluent standards for surface discharges 7-5 7-4 Typical effluent concentrations achievable for selected heavy metals 7-9 7-5 Summary: Estimated costs for treatment technologies 7-13 7-6 Cost estimating methodology and unit costs assumptions 7-14 7-7 Relative costs of deep well injection and alternative disposal options 7-23 Figures ES-1 Potential disposal zones for Class I wells in Illinois ES-3 I-1 Locations of Class I wells in Illinois I-2 I-2 Volume of wastes injected in Class I wells in Illinois I-4 1-1 Flow diagrams outlining permit UIC application procedures in Illinois 1-10 2-1 Generalized areal geology of bedrock surface 2-2 2-2 Principal geologic structures 2-3 2-3 Illinois rock units and their hydrogeologic roles 2-6 2-4 Morphology of the top of the Precambrian 2-10 2-5 Thickness and distribution of the Eau Claire Formation and southern boundaries for 10,000 mg/LTDS in water-yielding units of the Cambrian System 2-11 2-6 Uppermost geologic units with potential disposal zones for Class I wells 2-12 2-7 Basal boundary of USDW in north-south cross section from Rockford to Cairo 2-13 2-8 Morphology on the top of the Galena Group and southern boundaries for 10,000 mg/L TDS in the Galena and St. Peter 2-14 2-9 Thickness and distribution of the Maquoketa Shale Group 2-16 2-10 Thickness and distribution of the Hunton Megagroup and boundary for 10,000 mg/L TDS in the Hunton 2-17 2-11 Thickness and distribution of the New Albany Shale Group 2-18 2-12 Thickness and distribution of the Mississippian System and boundary for 10,000 mg/L TDS in the Valmeyeran 2-20 2-13 Thickness and distribution of the Chesterian Series and boundary for 10,000 mg/L TDS 2-22 2-14 Thickness of Quaternary deposits 2-24 2-15 Major bedrock valleys 2-25 2-16 Public water supply wells open to sand and gravel aquifers 2-32 2-17 Public water supply wells open to shallow bedrock aquifers 2-33 2-18 Public water supply wells open to deep bedrock aquifers 2-34 2-19 Earthquake epicenters 2-36 2-20 Seismic risk map 2-38 2-21 Oil and gas fields within the bedrock units of the Illinois Basin 2-40 2-22 Large coal mining operations 2-41 3-1 Locations of Class 1 wells and identification of disposal intervals 3-2 3-2 General information on waste disposal wells and explanation of well characteristics 3-4 3-3 Schematic diagram of wells A1, A2, B 3-6 3-4 Schematic diagram of wells C, D, E 3-8 3-5 Schematic diagram of wells F1, F2, G, H 3-10 4-1 Five-year summary of injection pressures for four disposal wells in Illinois 4-7 4-2 Five-year summary of annulus pressures for four disposal wells in Illinois 4-7 5-1 Regulatory status of Class I wells in the United States 5-3 DEDICATION This report is dedicated to the many individuals who have contributed to the design, construction, operation, testing, regulating, and scientific evaluation of deep disposal wells for industrial wastes in Illinois. Special tribute is directed to Ward E. Akers of the Illinois Sanitary Water Board and later of the IEPA for his pioneering work in regulation of waste disposal wells and to Robert E. Bergstrom, Chief Emeritus, of the State Geological Survey and Harmon F. Smith of the State Water Survey for their direction in scientific and technical assistance with deep well disposal activities in Illinois. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project was mandated by State legislation in 1984 (Environmental Protection Act, January 1, 1985, Title: I General Provisions, Section 62, Study of Underground Injection) and conducted under contracts from the Department of Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) and the Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center (HWRIC), Contract Numbers AD-94 and UI 8501. Don Etchison, Director of ENR, and David Thomas, Director of HWRIC, and their staffs provided guidance and support throughout the duration of the study. The project was carried out under the general supervision of Morris W. Leighton, Chief of the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), and Richard G. Semonin, Chief of the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS). Administrative assistance and scientific oversight was provided by Keros Cartwright, Head of the General and Environmental Geology Group of the ISGS; Robert Griffin, Head of the Chemistry and Minerals Engineering Group, ISGS; and Ellis W. Sanderson, Head of the Ground Water Section, ISWS. We are grateful to the Class I well operators for making records available, answering inquiries about well operations, reviewing the well profile figures for accuracy of well configuration, and providing published documents on deep well disposal practice and research in the United States. Many people assisted us with this project. J. Schrodt, L. Evans, B. J. Graves, M. Mushrush, T Biessel, and others compiled records and evaluated data. Information on regulatory activities with Class I wells and implications/interpretation of the UIC Class I regulations and regulatory practices were provided by L. J. Withers of the IEPA and D. A. Helmers and J. D. Student, former members of the IEPA Division of Land Pollution Control. Gary Miller, HWRIC, gave us valuable assistance during the project. Peer reviewers of the Draft Report contributed many helpful comments and suggestions; they were J. D. Coleman, Jr., A. G. Kissell, and C. R. Sherman, E. I. duPont de Nemours and Co., Wilmington, DE; T. K. Heavisides, Illinois Department of Energy and Resources, Energy and Environmental Affairs, Springfield; R.
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