Office of Conservation
Injection & Mining Division >> Underground Injection Control Section
Underground Injection Control (UIC) Section
The Underground Injection Control (UIC) section is responsible for administering a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved regulatory and permitting program. Its core duty is to protect underground sources of drinking water (USDW), surface waters, and the land from endangerment by regulating the subsurface injection of hazardous and nonhazardous waste fluids; subsurface storage of liquid, liquefied, and gaseous fluids; mineral solution mining; injection for enhanced oil recovery; and carbon dioxide sequestration.
The program is responsible for the administration, permitting, inspection, and enforcement activities under R.S. 30:4.1, LAC 43:XVII, Subpart 1-4 and LAC 43:XIX, Subpart 1, Chapter 4. The UIC Program was developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a result of the 1977 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The Office of Conservation received primary enforcement authority (primacy) for the regulation of injection and disposal wells in 1982. Descriptions of the five (5) classes of injections wells regulated by the UIC program (Class VI wells are currently not regulated by the state of Louisiana) and the (6) wells identified by the EPA are given in the attached Six Classes of Injection Wells document. Seven (7) Conservation Enforcement Specialists (CES) are responsible for field surveillance, inspection, and enforcement activities. The inspection area for each CES inspector is shown in the UIC CES Parish Assignment Map.
An Underground Source of Drinking Water (USDW) is defined as an aquifer or its portion which supplies any public water system or contains a sufficient quantity of ground water to supply a public water system and currently supplies drinking water for human consumption or contains fewer than 10,000 mg/l total dissolved solids and which is not an exempted aquifer.
UIC APPLICATION LINKS
- Expedited Processing of Permit Applications
- UIC Application Forms
- Detailed Report of Wells in a Defined AOR
- Registered Water Well Search
- LELAP Accredited Laboratories
- USDW Search
- Document Images
GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS
- Geological Cross-Section Standards for Class VI Applications
- Structure/Isopach Map Standards for Class VI Applications
- INTRA-OFFICE POLICY STATEMENT IMD 1999-03Maximum Allowable Surface Injection Pressure (MASIP) for Class II Disposal Wells
- IMD-GS-10Location Plat Requirements for the Injection and Mining Division (5/24/2011)
- IMD-GS-01, Amendment 4
Single String Casing Completion Requirements - IMD-GS-09, Amendment 1
Determination of a Maximum Allowable Surface Injection Pressure for Class II Saltwater Disposal and Enhanced Oil Recovery Wells by Applying the Provisions of LAC 43:XIX.405.B.4 to the Confining Zone (2/15/2017). Revoked (02/03/2020) - IMD-GS-09 and IMD-GS-09, Amendment 1 Revocation
Any increased injection pressures (MASIP) issued after effective date of this memorandum shall be in conformance with the current regulatory requirements of Statewide Order 29-B, Chapter 4 (LAC:XIX.Subpart 1) (02/03/2020). Any Class II wells previously issued an increased MASIP pursuant to Policy Numbers IMD-GS-09 and IMD-GS-09, Amendment 1 may continue to operate under said provisions and requirements until February 15, 2022 - IMD-GS-08
Public Notice Requirements for Salt Dome Projects
- IMD-GS-11
MAFP in Class II SWD and EOR Wells Injecting Produced Water or Brine - IMD-GS-12
Public Reporting of UIC Violations - IMD-GS-12, UIC Incident Report
UIC Incident Report - IMD-GS-13
Fluid Analysis Requirements for Class II Salt Water Disposal (SWD) and Enhanced Recovery (EOR) Wells - Guidance for Class I Cross-Sections
- Guidance for Class I Structure and Isopach Maps
SALT CAVERN INFORMATION
- Compliance Checklist for 2025
- Salt Dome Cross Section Guidance
- Salt Dome Cavern Structure Maps Guidance