[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 40, Volume 24]

[Revised as of July 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 40CFR194.33]



[Page 51-52]

 

                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT

 

         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)

 

PART 194_CRITERIA FOR THE CERTIFICATION AND RE-CERTIFICATION OF THE WASTE 

ISOLATION PILOT PLANT'S COMPLIANCE WITH THE 40 CFR PART 191 DISPOSAL 

REGULATIONS--Table of Contents

 

         Subpart C_Compliance Certification and Re-certification

 

Sec.  194.33  Consideration of drilling events in performance assessments.



    (a) Performance assessments shall examine deep drilling and shallow 

drilling that may potentially affect the disposal system during the 

regulatory time frame.

    (b) The following assumptions and process shall be used in assessing 

the likelihood and consequences of drilling



[[Page 52]]



events, and the results of such process shall be documented in any 

compliance application:

    (1) Inadvertent and intermittent intrusion by drilling for resources 

(other than those resources provided by the waste in the disposal system 

or engineered barriers designed to isolate such waste) is the most 

severe human intrusion scenario.

    (2) In performance assessments, drilling events shall be assumed to 

occur in the Delaware Basin at random intervals in time and space during 

the regulatory time frame.

    (3) The frequency of deep drilling shall be calculated in the 

following manner:

    (i) Identify deep drilling that has occurred for each resource in 

the Delaware Basin over the past 100 years prior to the time at which a 

compliance application is prepared.

    (ii) The total rate of deep drilling shall be the sum of the rates 

of deep drilling for each resource.

    (4) The frequency of shallow drilling shall be calculated in the 

following manner:

    (i) Identify shallow drilling that has occurred for each resource in 

the Delaware Basin over the past 100 years prior to the time at which a 

compliance application is prepared.

    (ii) The total rate of shallow drilling shall be the sum of the 

rates of shallow drilling for each resource.

    (iii) In considering the historical rate of all shallow drilling, 

the Department may, if justified, consider only the historical rate of 

shallow drilling for resources of similar type and quality to those in 

the controlled area.

    (c) Performance assessments shall document that in analyzing the 

consequences of drilling events, the Department assumed that:

    (1) Future drilling practices and technology will remain consistent 

with practices in the Delaware Basin at the time a compliance 

application is prepared. Such future drilling practices shall include, 

but shall not be limited to: The types and amounts of drilling fluids; 

borehole depths, diameters, and seals; and the fraction of such 

boreholes that are sealed by humans; and

    (2) Natural processes will degrade or otherwise affect the 

capability of boreholes to transmit fluids over the regulatory time 

frame.

    (d) With respect to future drilling events, performance assessments 

need not analyze the effects of techniques used for resource recovery 

subsequent to the drilling of the borehole.