Notice of Variances and Waivers
RULE NO.: RULE TITLE:
62-521.400: Ground Water Protection Measures in Wellhead Protection Areas
The Department of Environmental Protection hereby gives notice:
That on June 1, 2011, the Department of Environmental Protection has issued an order. The order is for the City of Hollywood variance petition (OGC File No. 11-0179), received on January 14, 2011. The petition requested a variance from the prohibition of construction of a Class I UIC well within a 500 foot radial distance of a public water supply well (subsection 62-521.200(7) and paragraph 62-521.400(1)(f), F.A.C.). Specifically, the variance requested that Class I injection well IW-1 be allowed to be constructed within 500 feet of Hollywood public water supply well F-2. Notice of receipt of this petition was published in the Florida Administrative Weekly, on February 18, 2011. No public comment was received. The final order granted a variance to allow Class I injection well IW-1 to be constructed within 307 feet of well F-2 because the petitioner demonstrated a substantial hardship and that the purposes of the underlying statutes would be met with the conditions imposed by the Department. The conditions require that: (a) Four shallow pad monitor wells in the vicinity of the injection well shall be sampled weekly during the construction of IW-1 to monitor for any changes in water quality; (b) The four shallow pad monitor wells shall be sampled before beginning construction of injection well IW-1. These background analyses must be submitted for Department approval before work begins; (c) Ground water samples from well F-2 and monitor well F-1 will be sampled before construction begins, at the completion of well IW-1, and at the completion of monitor well DZMW-1; (d) Throughout the injection well system construction and testing phase, all of the required monitoring data shall be tabulated and graphed on a weekly basis for inclusion into progress reports submitted to the Department. If elevated (greater than background) chloride concentration is detected in the shallow pad monitor wells, or a significant change in chloride is detected during the injection well system construction or testing phase, an assessment plan shall be submitted for Department review and approval, to address whether the changed water quality conditions have occurred because of activities during well construction. If the Department determines that the changed water quality conditions are attributable to activities during well construction, a report shall be submitted to the Department to address appropriate remediation measures (if any); (e) After the injection well system is complete, the shallow pad monitor wells shall be monitored monthly during operational testing and quarterly once an operation permit is issued; and (f) An industry standard pad will be constructed around the well using concrete or steel. This pad shall be designed and constructed to hold all drilling equipment and to contain all drilling fluids and cuttings to avoid contamination of the ground water. Waters spilled during construction or testing of the injection well system shall be contained and properly disposed. Plans and specifications for the pad submitted by the engineer of record, including information that specifies the material selected to construct the pad, shall be provided to and approved by the Department before starting construction of either the injection well or monitor well.
A copy of the Order or additional information may be obtained by contacting:
George Heuler, Department of Environmental Protection, Underground Injection Control Program, MS 3530, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400, telephone (850)245-8657.