The Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy has also issued a public notice and conducted a public hearing to accept testimony regarding the proposal to issue permit NE0210825 to Crow Butte Resources, Inc. (CBR) for the construction and operation of a Class 1 UIC non-hazardous waste injection well.
The public hearing was held September 23, 2010 at the auditorium of the Crawford Public High School. Prior to the public hearing, NDEE also hosted an information session to informally discuss issues with the public about the proposed Class 1 UIC non-hazardous waste injection well.
A transcript of the hearing is posted below:
(See attached file: 09-23 hearing transcripts.pdf)
File Size 1468 KB
CBR currently operates a Class 1 non-hazardous waste injection well designed to accept waste fluids generated at its in-situ uranium mining operation, and has applied for an additional Class 1 nonhazardous waste injection well to aide in the disposal of restoration fluids. The proposed injection well is to be located in the Northeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 13, Township 31 North, Range 52 West, Dawes County, Nebraska.
The proposed permit provides conditions and limitations on injection parameters. The Department proposes to use conditions and limitations that are essentially identical to those in the permit for CBR’s currently operating Class 1 non-hazardous injection well (a table showing those limits can be found at the bottom of this page). The geologic formations receiving injected waste are restricted to the Lower Dakota, Morrison, and Sundance Formations, which have been demonstrated to be located below the lowermost underground source of drinking water. In addition, the Morrison and the Sundance Formations were tested during the drilling of the current operating Class 1 well, and exhibit water quality that is considered unacceptable under State and Federal Regulations as underground sources of drinking water due to naturally high concentrations of total dissolved solids.
The permit requires the operator to monitor concentrations of specific parameters in the injection fluids to insure that only non-hazardous wastes are being injected. In addition, the injection well will be monitored on a continuous basis to record the injection process and ensure compliance with permit conditions. CBR has operated a Class I well at their facility south of Crawford since 1995. This new Class III well would be the third in the state.
Class I Fact Sheet -- Below is a Fact Sheet regarding the proposed Class I permit:
(See attached file: Class I Fact Sheet.pdf)
File Size 19 KB
Draft Permit -- Below is the draft permit
(See attached file: Draft_Permit07-06-2010.pdf)
File Size 88 KB
Injection or Parameter Limitations on Crow Butte’s Class I Injection Well
Injection and Operational Parameters | Injection or Parameter Limitation | Measurement or Sample Frequency | Reporting Requirements | Analysis or Measurement Type |
Injection Pressure (pounds per square inch gauge) | 650 psig | N/A | Monthly | Continuous Recording Device |
Maximum Daily Injection Volume (gallons per day) | Report | N/A | Monthly | Continuous Recording Device |
Maximum Daily Injection Rate (gallons per minute) | Report | N/A | Monthly | Continuous Recording Device |
Average Daily Injection Rate (Annualized) (gallons per minute) | Report | N/A | Monthly | Continuous Recording Device |
Minimum Allowable Operating Annulus Pressure (pounds per square inch gauge) | 150 psig
Above Injection Pressure | Daily | Monthly | Gauge or Continuous Recording Device |
Seal Pot Liquid Level (inches) | Liquid level must be visible in sight glass | Daily | Monthly | Sight Glass |
Calcium | Report | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Chloride | 40,000 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Sulfate | 10,000 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Sodium | 40,000 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Alkalinity | 4,100 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
pH (Standard Units) | 5.0 – 9.5 * | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Radium | 5,000 pCi/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Uranium | 25 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Vanadium | 100 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Arsenic | 5 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Barium | 100 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Cadmium | 1 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Chromium | 5 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Lead | 5 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Mercury | 0.2 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Selenium | 1 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
Silver | 5 mg/l | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly Composite |
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