[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 4, 1995)] [Notices] [Pages 52000-52001] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-24656] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-5311-8] Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation; Underground Injection Control; Primacy Application AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of public comment period and of public hearing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce that: (1) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received an application from the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation requesting primary enforcement responsibility for the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program for Class II injection wells; (2) determined the application contains all the required elements; (3) the application is available for inspection and copying; (4) public comments are requested; and (5) a public hearing will be held. Section 1422 (b)(4) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires that prior to approving, disapproving, or approving in part, a State's UIC program, the Administrator provide opportunity for a public hearing. This notification advises the public of the date, time and location of the required public hearing. The proposed comment period and public hearing will provide EPA the breadth of information and public opinion necessary to approve, disapprove, or approve in part the application from the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation to regulate Class II injection wells under provisions of Section 1425 of the SDWA. DATES: Requests to present oral testimony must be filed by November 8, 1995; the public hearing will be held on November 14, 1995, at 7:00 p.m. Written comments must be received by November 21, 1995. ADDRESSES: Comments and requests to testify should be mailed to Dan Jackson, Ground Water Unit (8P2-GW), Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII, 999 18th Street, Suite 500, [[Page 52001]] Denver, Colorado, 80202-2466. The hearing will be held in the Galletin meeting room in the Holiday Inn, 5500 Midland Road, Billings, Montana. Copies of the application and pertinent materials are available between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at the following locations: Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII, Ground Water Unit, 4th Floor Terrace, 999 18th Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80202-2466, PH: (303) 293-1434 Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, 2535 St. Johns Avenue, Billings, MT 59102, PH: (406) 656-0040 Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII, Montana Office Building, Federal Office Building, 301 S. Park, Helena MT 59626- 0026, PH: (406) 449-5486 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul S. Osborne, Ground Water Unit (8P2-GW), Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII, 999 18th Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80202-2466, (303) 293-1418 (Voice Mail) or (303) 294-1183. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The UIC program was implemented to prevent contamination of all Underground Sources of Drinking Water (USDW's), which are aquifers capable of yielding a significant amount of water containing less than 10,000 mg/liter of total dissolved solids. If the application by the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation is approved, the State would be responsible for preventing endangerment of USDWs by the following activities: (1) Disposal (via injection wells) of fluids produced in conjunction with primary oil and gas development and production, including gas plant waste; (2) injection for the purpose of storing liquid hydrocarbons; and (3) injection of fluids for the purpose of enhanced recovery of oil and gas. The program proposed by the State will regulate Class II injection activities by establishing state permits which will include technical requirements for the protection of USDW's. Such requirements include criteria for construction, testing, operation, monitoring, and abandonment of injection wells. At present, there are approximately 1,232 Class II injection wells in Montana. The USEPA has held primary enforcement authority for the UIC program in Montana since the program was implemented in 1984. The application from the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation requests that EPA delegate to the State, primary enforcement authority for the regulation of all Class II injection wells on all lands subject to the State's police power and taxing authority and all lands owned or under the jurisdiction of the United States, except those wells located within the exterior boundaries on an Indian Reservation pursuant to 40 CFR 144.3. The application includes program description, copies of all applicable rules and forms, a quality assurance plan, a statement of legal authority and appropriate memoranda of agreement. Dated: September 27, 1995. Max H. Dodson, Director, Region VIII, Water Management Division. [FR Doc. 95-24656 Filed 10-3-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P