[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 25]
[Revised as of July 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR265.93]

[Page 507-509]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 264_STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT, 
STORAGE, AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES--Table of Contents
 
                    Subpart F_Ground-Water Monitoring
 
Sec.  265.93  Preparation, evaluation, and response.

    (a) Within one year after the effective date of these regulations, 
the owner or operator must prepare an outline of a ground-water quality 
assessment program. The outline must describe a more comprehensive 
ground-water monitoring program (than that described in Sec. Sec.  
265.91 and 265.92) capable of determining:
    (1) Whether hazardous waste or hazardous waste constituents have 
entered the ground water;
    (2) The rate and extent of migration of hazardous waste or hazardous 
waste constituents in the ground water; and
    (3) The concentrations of hazardous waste or hazardous waste 
constituents in the ground water.
    (b) For each indicator parameter specified in Sec.  265.92(b)(3), 
the owner or operator must calculate the arithmetic mean and variance, 
based on at least

[[Page 508]]

four replicate measurements on each sample, for each well monitored in 
accordance with Sec.  265.92(d)(2), and compare these results with its 
initial background arithmetic mean. The comparison must consider 
individually each of the wells in the monitoring system, and must use 
the Student's t-test at the 0.01 level of significance (see appendix IV) 
to determine statistically significant increases (and decreases, in the 
case of pH) over initial background.
    (c)(1) If the comparisons for the upgradient wells made under 
paragraph (b) of this section show a significant increase (or pH 
decrease), the owner or operator must submit this information in 
accordance with Sec.  265.94(a)(2)(ii).
    (2) If the comparisons for downgradient wells made under paragraph 
(b) of this section show a significant increase (or pH decrease), the 
owner or operator must then immediately obtain additional ground-water 
samples from those downgradient wells where a significant difference was 
detected, split the samples in two, and obtain analyses of all 
additional samples to determine whether the significant difference was a 
result of laboratory error.
    (d)(1) If the analyses performed under paragraph (c)(2) of this 
section confirm the significant increase (or pH decrease), the owner or 
operator must provide written notice to the Regional Administrator--
within seven days of the date of such confirmation--that the facility 
may be affecting ground-water quality.
    (2) Within 15 days after the notification under paragraph (d)(1) of 
this section, the owner or operator must develop a specific plan, based 
on the outline required under paragraph (a) of this section and 
certified by a qualified geologist or geotechnical engineer, for a 
ground-water quality assessment at the facility. This plan must be 
placed in the facility operating record and be maintained until closure 
of the facility.
    (3) The plan to be submitted under Sec.  265.90(d)(1) or paragraph 
(d)(2) of this section must specify:
    (i) The number, location, and depth of wells;
    (ii) Sampling and analytical methods for those hazardous wastes or 
hazardous waste constituents in the facility;
    (iii) Evaluation procedures, including any use of previously-
gathered ground-water quality information; and
    (iv) A schedule of implementation.
    (4) The owner or operator must implement the ground-water quality 
assessment plan which satisfies the requirements of paragraph (d)(3) of 
this section, and, at a minimum, determine:
    (i) The rate and extent of migration of the hazardous waste or 
hazardous waste constituents in the ground water; and
    (ii) The concentrations of the hazardous waste or hazardous waste 
constituents in the ground water.
    (5) The owner or operator must make his first determination under 
paragraph (d)(4) of this section, as soon as technically feasible, and 
prepare a report containing an assessment of ground-water quality. This 
report must be placed in the facility operating record and be maintained 
until closure of the facility.
    (6) If the owner or operator determines, based on the results of the 
first determination under paragraph (d)(4) of this section, that no 
hazardous waste or hazardous waste constituents from the facility have 
entered the ground water, then he may reinstate the indicator evaluation 
program described in Sec.  265.92 and paragraph (b) of this section. If 
the owner or operator reinstates the indicator evaluation program, he 
must so notify the Regional Administrator in the report submitted under 
paragraph (d)(5) of this section.
    (7) If the owner or operator determines, based on the first de ter 
mi nation under paragraph (d)(4) of this section, that hazardous waste 
or hazardous waste constituents from the facility have entered the 
ground water, then he:
    (i) Must continue to make the determinations required under 
paragraph (d)(4) of this section on a quarterly basis until final 
closure of the facility, if the ground-water quality assessment plan was 
implemented prior to final closure of the facility; or
    (ii) May cease to make the determinations required under paragraph 
(d)(4) of this section, if the ground-

[[Page 509]]

water quality assessment plan was implemented during the post-closure 
care period.
    (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subpart, any ground-
water quality assessment to satisfy the requirements of Sec.  
265.93(d)(4) which is initiated prior to final closure of the facility 
must be completed and reported in accordance with Sec.  265.93(d)(5).
    (f) Unless the ground water is monitored to satisfy the requirements 
of Sec.  265.93(d)(4), at least annually the owner or operator must 
evaluate the data on ground-water surface elevations obtained under 
Sec.  265.92(e) to determine whether the requirements under Sec.  
265.91(a) for locating the monitoring wells continues to be satisfied. 
If the evaluation shows that Sec.  265.91(a) is no longer satisfied, the 
owner or operator must immediately modify the number, location, or depth 
of the monitoring wells to bring the ground-water monitoring system into 
compliance with this requirement.

[45 FR 33232, May 19, 1980, as amended at 50 FR 4514, Jan. 31, 1985; 71 
FR 16909, Apr. 4, 2006]