Hazardous Waste: Controls Over Injection Well Disposal Operations Protect Drinking Water
RCED-87-170
Published: Aug 28, 1987. Publicly Released: Oct 13, 1987.
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Highlights
In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program, to assess: (1) the extent to which hazardous waste has contaminated underground sources of drinking water; and (2) EPA and state oversight of underground injection of hazardous waste.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To ensure that the regulatory oversight functions built into the UIC program for hazardous waste injection wells are in fact being performed in states for which EPA bears direct responsibility, the Administrator, EPA, should strengthen the program's oversight functions by requiring that EPA headquarters annually evaluate each regional office operating a UIC program, to ensure, at a minimum, that the program's regulatory oversight functions are being performed. |
In 1987, the EPA Office of Water developed a more extensive mid-year evaluation of each region's UIC program. According to EPA, the evaluation enables headquarters to review the UIC program's implementation to identify strengths and weaknesses and to focus on accomplishments, reporting procedures, and quality control. However, the revised mid-year evaluation does not address oversight functions.
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| Environmental Protection Agency | To ensure that the regulatory oversight functions built into the UIC program for hazardous waste injection wells are in fact being performed in states for which EPA bears direct responsibility, the Administrator, EPA, should strengthen the program's oversight functions by reemphasizing to EPA regions with direct UIC program responsibility that they are to perform and document periodic inspections and report noncompliance incidents to EPA headquarters, as required by UIC regulations. |
The UIC branch completed a training program for states and regions to discuss the types of inspections that must be performed and how inspections and violations must be documented and reported.
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state relationsHazardous substancesPotable waterState-administered programsTestingWaste disposalWaste managementWater pollution controlWater qualityHazardous wastes