Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 43 - NATURAL RESOURCES
Part XIX - Office of Conservation-General Operations
Subpart 1 - Statewide Order No. 29-B
Chapter 5 - Off-Site Storage, Treatment and/or Disposal of Exploration and Production Waste Generated from Drilling and Production of Oil and Gas Wells
Section XIX-549 - Land Treatment Facility Requirements
Universal Citation: LA Admin Code XIX-549
Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. Land treatment facilities shall be isolated from contact with public, private, or livestock water supplies, both surface and underground.
B. The siting, design, construction, operation, testing and closure of land treatment facilities shall be approved only after an application is submitted to and approved by the commissioner pursuant to the requirements of §519, §527, and §531
C. General Requirements
1. The soil shall contain a slowly permeable
horizon no less than 12 inches thick containing enough fine grained material
within 3 feet of the surface to classify it as CL, OL, MH, CH, or OH under the
Unified Soil Classification System.
2. The seasonal high water table shall be
maintained throughout the facility's operational life at least 36" below the
soil surface, either as a result of natural or artificial drainage.
3. Throughout the operational life of a land
treatment cell, in order to end the treatment phase and re-enter the
application phase, a cell must be shown to comply with the following criteria.
|
Parameter |
Limitation |
|
PH |
6.5 - 9 |
|
EC |
10 mmhos/cm |
|
SAR |
12 |
|
ESP |
15 percent |
|
TPH |
3 percent (by weight) |
|
Metals (ppm) |
|
|
Arsenic |
40 |
|
Cadmium |
10 |
|
Chromium |
1,000 |
|
Copper |
1,500 |
|
Lead |
300 |
|
Molybdenum |
18 |
|
Nickel |
420 |
|
Mercury |
10 |
|
Selenium |
10 |
|
Silver |
200 |
|
Zinc |
2,300 |
|
Leachate Testing* |
|
|
Barium |
10.0 mg/l |
*The Leachate testing method for Barium is included in the Laboratory Manual for the Analysis of E and P Waste (Department of Natural Resources, August 9, 1988, or latest version).
4. The concentration of measured
constituents in any groundwater aquifer shall at no time significantly exceed
background water quality data.
5.
Fluids collected in a land treatment cell underdrain system shall be monitored
to provide early warning of possible migration of mobile E and P Waste
constituents. The monitoring program shall be defined in the permit application
or the facility E and P Waste management and operations plan.
6. An independent professional consultant and
laboratory shall perform the necessary monitoring to assure adherence to the
requirements of this Section.
7. E
and P Waste Pretreatment and Treatment
a.
Waste Type 12 which contains a concentration of total benzene equal to or less
than 3198 mg/kg total benzene (MPC) may be placed on land treatment cells
without pretreatment. However, in treating such E and P Waste, the commercial
land treatment facility must meet the location criteria of
§507. A 3
b. Land treatment facilities which have been
approved to receive Waste Type 12 which contain more than 3198 mg/kg total
benzene must pretreat the E and P Waste to a concentration less than or equal
to 3198 mg/kg total benzene (MPC) before placing the E and P Waste on a land
treatment cell (see
§505 B)
c. Waste Type 06 which has been tested and
found to contain a total benzene concentration less than or equal to 113 mg/kg
(MPC) may be land treated no closer than 1,000' from a residential or public
building, church, school, or hospital.
d. Waste Type 06 which has not been tested or
tested and found to contain a total benzene concentration greater than 113
mg/kg (MPC) must be land treated no closer than 2,000' from a residential or
public building, church, school, or hospital.
e. Free/visible oil must be removed from all
E and P Waste prior to loading on a land treatment cell.
f. Produced saltwater and gas plant waste
fluids, must not be disposed of by land treatment. If pretreated prior to
disposal (e.g., filtered or otherwise phase separated) fluids must be injected
into a Class II well.
8.
Application Phase
a. E and P Waste may be
applied to active land treatment cells during the application phase only. An
application phase begins only under the following conditions:
i. a new constructed and approved cell begins
receipt of E and P Waste;
ii. a
cell containing treated E and P Waste has been shown to meet the testing
criteria of
§549. C and is utilized
for the application of new E and P Waste receipts;
iii. a cell from which treated E and P Waste
has been removed (after meeting the reuse testing criteria of §565) is utilized
for the application of new E and P Waste receipts.
b. An application phase ends when either one
of the following occurs:
i. three months have
elapsed since the date application first began, unless an exception is granted
upon proof of good cause under the provisions of §569; or
ii. 15,000 bbls/acre of E and P Waste has
been applied to a cell.
c. In order to document the amount of E and P
Waste applied to each land treatment cell, commercial facilities are required
to:
i. indicate on each manifest (E and P
Waste shipping control ticket) the number of the cell onto which each load of E
and P Waste is applied;
ii.
maintain a daily or weekly log of type and volume of E and P Wastes applied to
each land treatment cell and the activities undertaken to bring each cell into
compliance; and
iii. include in the
quarterly report the amount of each type of E and P Waste applied to each cell
and the activities undertaken to bring each cell into compliance during the
quarter.
9.
Treatment Phase. Upon completion of the application phase, land treatment cells
enter the treatment phase. Remedial action (treatment) must be actively
performed in order to bring a cell into compliance with this Section. Cells
must reach compliance status within 24 months of the end of the application
phase.
10. Land treatment cell
levees must be constructed of soils which are placed and compacted in such a
manner as to produce a barrier to horizontal movement of fluids. Levee
construction material shall be compacted in a maximum of 8" lifts to > 90
percent standard proctor test. The levees must be properly tied into the
barrier along the bottom and sides of the cells. Actual construction of the
levees must be monitored and documented by professional engineering or
geotechnical soil testing company. All levees must be provided with a means to
prevent erosion and other degradation.
11. Rainwater and other E and P Waste fluids
are not to be stored on land treatment cells. Such fluids are to be removed
from cells in a timely manner and stored in appropriate facilities. Such fluids
may only be used for removal of salts during the treatment phase. Otherwise,
cells must remain free of excessive fluids.
12. Storm water retention (sediment) ponds
constructed after January 1, 2002 must be constructed in compliance with the
liner requirements for produced water pits in LAC 43:XIX.307.A and the land
treatment levee requirements of
§549. C 10 above. Such
ponds must not have an accumulation of oil at any surface location.
D. Monitoring Requirements
Note: References for the parameters required in this Section are listed as follows.
EC-electrical conductivity (millimhos/cm for soil, micromhos/cm for water)
SAR-sodium adsorption ratio
ESP-exchangeable sodium percentage (percent)
CEC-cation exchange capacity (milliequivalents/100 gm soil)
TPH-total petroleum hydrocarbons (ppm)
Total benzene (ppm)
TCLP benzene (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure-ppm)
Total metals as follows:
As-arsenic
Ba-barium
Cd-cadmium
Cr-chromium
Cu-copper
Pb-lead
Hg-mercury
Mo-molybdenum
Ni-nickel
Se-selenium
Ag-silver
Zn-zinc
TDS-total dissolved solids
TSS-total suspended solids
Soluble cations:
Na-sodium
Ca-calcium
Mg-magnesium
Soluble anions:
CO3-carbonate
HCO3-bicarbonate
C1-chloride
SO4-sulfate
1. Prior to the receipt of E and P Waste in a
newly permitted and constructed land treatment system or cell, baseline data
must be provided by the following sampling and testing program.
a. Soil in the treatment zone (0-24") of each
cell must be sampled for the following parameters: pH, EC, SAR, ESP, CEC, TPH,
As, barium leachate, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Mo, Ni, Se, Ag, and Zn.
b. Groundwater must be sampled and tested for
the following parameters: pH, EC, TDS, TSS, TPH, C1, Total Benzene, Na, As, Ba,
Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Mo, Ni, Se, Ag, and Zn.
c. Water from land treatment cell underdrain
systems must be sampled and tested for the following parameters: TDS, pH, Na,
Cl, EC, TPH, total benzene, Ba, Pb, Zn, and reactive sulfides.
2. The following monitoring
program must be conducted during the active life of a permitted E and P Waste
land treatment system.
a. Soil in the
treatment zone (waste treatment zone- WTZ and upper treatment zone- UTZ) must
be sampled and tested quarterly to determine E and P Waste degradation and
accumulation of metals and hydrocarbons. Samples must be analyzed for the
following: As, barium leachate, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Mo, Ni, Se, Ag, Zn, and
TPH.
b. Soil in the treatment zone
(waste treatment zone-WTZ and upper treatment zone-UTZ) must be sampled and
tested quarterly to determine the accumulation of salts and to provide data for
determining necessary soil amendments. Samples must be analyzed for the
following: pH, EC, SAR, ESP, CEC, soluble cations (Na, Ca, Mg), and soluble
anions (CO3, HCO3, C1,
SO4).
c.
Discharge Water. A copy of each discharge monitoring report made in conformance
with any applicable state and/or federal regulatory program shall be furnished
to the Office of Conservation on a timely basis.
d. Land treatment cell underdrain systems
must be sampled and tested quarterly to determine the presence of mobile
constituents. Sampling and testing shall be performed on a quarterly basis. A
composite of at least three samples per management unit (or cell if applicable)
are to be analyzed for the following: TDS, pH, Na, Cl, EC, TPH, total benzene,
Ba, Pb, Zn and reactive sulfides. If total benzene exceeds an action level of
0.5 ppm, the commissioner may require further assessment and testing as deemed
appropriate.
e. Groundwater levels
in monitor wells shall be measured monthly for a period of two years to
determine seasonal fluctuation in water table. Water level shall be measured
quarterly each year thereafter.
f.
Groundwater from monitor wells shall be sampled quarterly to determine the
impact of facility operation on groundwater. Prior to obtaining discreet
representative samples, each well must be purged in accordance with EPA
guidance. A composite of at least two samples per well shall be tested for the
following parameters: TDS, TSS, pH, C1, Na, EC, TPH, total benzene, As, Ba, Cr,
Pb, and Zn.
g. The original hard
copy or original electronic copy quarterly monitoring report(s) must be
received by the Office of Conservation on or before the dates listed for each
quarter as followed: 1st Quarter - due April 30; 2nd Quarter - due July 31; 3rd
Quarter - due October 31; 4th Quarter -due January 31. If delivered on an April
30, July 31, October 31 or January 31, the subject report(s) must be received
by the Office of Conservation before the close of business, i.e., no later than
4:30 p.m. In the event that April 30, July 31, October 31, or January 31 falls
on a Saturday, Sunday, or state holiday, the reporting deadline shall be the
following regularly scheduled business day, before the close of business. Each
quarterly report must contain the following information:
i. the status of each cell at the time of the
sampling event (application phase, treatment phase, inactive, etc.), the
date(s) sampling took place, and a diagram indicating sample locations for each
cell;
ii. the amounts and types of
E and P Waste applied to each cell during the application phase, including the
beginning and ending dates of application;
iii. a brief description of treatment
activities undertaken to bring each cell into compliance with the criteria of
this Section, including the status of fluids (salts) removal from each
cell;
iv. a compilation (chart) of
test results for the present and past three quarterly sampling
events;
v. copies of current
laboratory test data;
vi. the size
of each land treatment cell (in acres);
vii. a compilation (chart) of water depth
measurements of monitor well water levels calculated from the top of
casing;
viii. a potentiometric
surface map contoured with water level elevations from mean sea
level.
h. The Office of
Conservation may approve an alternative monitoring program upon receipt of
evidence that such procedure shall provide adequate monitoring during the
active life of a facility.
3. Sampling and Testing Requirements
a. A stratified random sampling system shall
be used to determine soil sampling locations in land treatment cells. All cells
and monitor wells are to be sampled and tested for all parameters unless
otherwise approved by the commissioner. Facilities are required to notify the
Office of Conservation at least one week in advance of each quarterly sampling
event in order for a representative of this office to be present.
b. Soil samples in land treatment cells shall
be taken in the waste treatment zone (WTZ) and the upper treatment zone (UTZ).
Over time, the depth of the treatment zone sampled may need to be increased due
to solids buildup on land treatment cells. The degree of E and P Waste
incorporation shall be noted at the time of sampling.
c. At least two samples must be taken from
WTZ and UTZ for each acre of cell area.
d. Soil samples are to be analyzed using
standard soil testing procedures as presented in the Laboratory Manual for the
Analysis of E and P Waste (Department of Natural Resources, August 9, 1988, or
latest revision).
e. Water samples
are to be analyzed for required parameters according to acceptable EPA
guidelines and/or the laboratory procedures as presented in the Laboratory
Manual for the Analysis of E and P Waste (Department of Natural Resources,
August 9, 1988, or latest revision).
f. The soil in an inactive cell may not be
required to be tested for certain quarterly monitoring parameters only after
two consecutive quarterly tests indicate compliance and upon receipt of written
approval of this office.
E. Closure and Post-Closure Monitoring
1. Operators of land treatment systems shall
submit closure and post-closure maintenance and monitoring programs to the
Office of Conservation for approval. The monitoring program shall address
sampling and testing schedules for soil in the treatment zone, water collected
from the unsaturated zone monitoring system, surface runoff water, and
groundwater.
2. Sampling and
testing must be performed during the entire closure and post-closure periods.
To certify closure of a land treatment system, water collected from the
unsaturated zone monitoring system and groundwater must meet background water
quality values; in addition, soils in the treatment zone and surface runoff
water must meet the following criteria.
|
Parameter |
Criteria |
No. of Consecutive Samples |
|
Soils in the Treatment Zone |
||
|
PH |
6.5 - 9 |
2 |
|
TPH |
3.0 percent |
2 |
|
EC |
10 mmhos/cm |
2 |
|
TCLP Benzene |
0.5 ppm |
2 |
|
SAR |
12 |
2 |
|
ESP |
15 percent |
2 |
|
Metals (ppm) |
||
|
As |
10 |
2 |
|
Cd |
10 |
2 |
|
Cr |
1000 |
2 |
|
Cu |
1,500 |
2 |
|
Pb |
1000 |
2 |
|
Hg |
10 |
2 |
|
Mo |
18 |
2 |
|
Ni |
420 |
2 |
|
Se |
10 |
2 |
|
Ag |
200 |
2 |
|
Zn |
2,300 |
2 |
|
Leachate Testing* |
||
|
Ba |
10.0 mg/l |
2 |
|
Runoff Water |
||
|
PH |
6.5 - 9.0 |
4 |
|
TPH |
15 ppm |
4 |
|
TCLP Benzene |
0.5 ppm |
4 |
|
EC |
2.0 mmhos/cm |
4 |
|
SAR |
10 |
4 |
|
TSS |
60 ppm |
4 |
|
Chloride |
500 ppm |
4 |
|
Metals (ppm) |
||
|
As |
0.2 |
4 |
|
Ba |
10 |
4 |
|
Cd |
0.05 |
4 |
|
Cr |
0.15 |
4 |
|
Cu |
1.3 |
4 |
|
Hg |
0.01 |
4 |
|
Pb |
0.10 |
4 |
|
Se |
0.05 |
4 |
|
Zn |
1.0 |
4 |
*The Leachate testing method for Barium is included in the Laboratory Manual for the Analysis of E and P Waste (Department of Natural Resources, August 9, 1988, or latest version).
3. Post-closure monitoring shall
be performed on intervals of six months, one, two and five years following
certification that closure is complete.
AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:4 et seq.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Louisiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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