Talk:UIC
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Underground Injection Control
[edit]UIC may also refer to the Underground Injection Control program, which was promulgated by the U.S. EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act. There are 5 classes of UIC wells:
- Class I wells are technologically sophisticated and inject hazardous and non-hazardous wastes below the lowermost underground source of drinking water (USDW). Injection occurs into deep, isolated rock formations that are separated from the lowermost USDW by layers of impermeable clay and rock.
- Class II wells are wells that are used for disposing of wastes associated with oil and gas production (e.g. brine, drilling mud) or used for enhanced recovery of oil and gas production wells. Brine is the most common injectacte because about 10 barrels of brine are typically extracted for every barrel of oil.
- Class III wells are solution mining wells, which inject super-heated steam, water, or other fluids into formations in order to extract minerals. The injected fluids are then pumped to the surface and the minerals in solution are extracted. Generally, the fluid is treated and re-injected into the same formation. More than 50 percent of the salt and 80 percent of the uranium extraction in the U.S. is produced through Class III UIC wells.
- Class IV wells inject hazardous or radioactive wastes into or above underground sources of drinking water. These wells are banned.
- Class V wells include all injection wells that are not included within the other classes.