42 USC 6939b – Interim control of hazardous waste injection
(a) Underground source of drinking water
No hazardous waste may be disposed of by underground injection—
(1) into a formation which contains (within one-quarter mile of the well used for such underground injection) an underground source of drinking water; or
(2) above such a formation.
The prohibitions established under this section shall take effect 6 months after November 8, 1984, except in the case of any State in which identical or more stringent prohibitions are in effect before such date under the Safe Drinking Water Act [42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.].
(b) Actions under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
Terms Used In 42 USC 6939b
- Administrator: means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. See 42 USC 6903
- hazardous waste: means a solid waste, or combination of solid wastes, which because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may&mdash. See 42 USC 6903
- State: means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. See 42 USC 6903
Subsection (a) shall not apply to the injection of contaminated ground water into the aquifer from which it was withdrawn, if—
(1) such injection is—
(A) a response action taken under section 9604 or 9606 of this title, or
(B) part of corrective action required under this chapter 1
intended to clean up such contamination;
(2) such contaminated ground water is treated to substantially reduce hazardous constituents prior to such injection; and
(3) such response action or corrective action will, upon completion, be sufficient to protect human health and the environment.
(c) Enforcement
In addition to enforcement under the provisions of this chapter, the prohibitions established under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) shall be enforceable under the Safe Drinking Water Act [42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.] in any State—
(1) which has adopted identical or more stringent prohibitions under part C of the Safe Drinking Water Act [42 U.S.C. 300h et seq.] and which has assumed primary enforcement responsibility under that Act for enforcement of such prohibitions; or
(2) in which the Administrator has adopted identical or more stringent prohibitions under the Safe Drinking Water Act [42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.] and is exercising primary enforcement responsibility under that Act for enforcement of such prohibitions.
(d) Definitions
The terms “primary enforcement responsibility”, “underground source of drinking water”, “formation” and “well” have the same meanings as provided in regulations of the Administrator under the Safe Drinking Water Act [42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.]. The term “Safe Drinking Water Act” means title XIV of the Public Health Service Act.