(a) You are subject to these new requirements if you own or operate an existing motor vehicle well and you are located in a ground water protection area or an other sensitive ground water area. If your State or EPA Region fails to identify these areas within the specified time frames these requirements apply to all existing motor vehicle waste disposal wells within your State.

(b) Ground water protection areas.

(1) For the purpose of this subpart, States are required to complete all local source water assessments for ground water protection areas by January 1, 2004. Once a local assessment for a ground water protection area is complete every existing motor vehicle waste disposal well owner in that ground water protection area has one year to close the well or receive a permit. If a State fails to complete all local assessments for ground water protection areas by January 1, 2004, the following may occur:

(i) The new requirements in this subpart will apply to all existing motor vehicle waste disposal wells in the State and owners and operators of motor vehicle waste disposal wells located outside of completed assessments for ground water protection areas must close their well or receive a permit by January 1, 2005.

(ii) EPA may grant a State an extension for up to one year from the January 1, 2004 deadline if the State is making reasonable progress in completing the source water assessments for ground water protection areas. States must apply for the extension by June 1, 2003. If a State fails to complete the assessments for the remaining ground water protection areas by the extended date the rule requirements will apply to all motor vehicle waste disposal wells in the State and owners and operators of motor vehicle waste disposal wells located outside of ground water protection areas with completed assessments must close their well or receive a permit by January 1, 2006.

(2) The UIC Program Director may extend the compliance deadline for specific motor vehicle waste disposal wells for up to one year if the most efficient compliance option for the well is connection to a sanitary sewer or installation of new treatment technology.

(c) Other sensitive ground water areas. States may also delineate other sensitive ground water areas by January 1, 2004. Existing motor vehicle waste disposal well owners and operators within other sensitive ground water areas have until January 1, 2007 to receive a permit or close the well. If a State or EPA Region fails to identify these additional sensitive ground water areas by January 1, 2004, the new requirements of this rule will apply to all motor vehicle waste disposal wells in the State effective January 1, 2007 unless they are subject to a different compliance date pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section. Again, EPA may extend the January 1, 2004 deadline for up to one year for States to delineate other sensitive ground water areas if the State is making reasonable progress in identifying the sensitive areas. States must apply for this extension by June 1, 2003. If a State has been granted an extension, existing motor vehicle waste disposal well owners and operators within the sensitive ground water areas have until January 1, 2008 to close the well or receive a permit, unless they are subject to a different compliance date pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section. If a State has been granted an extension and fails to delineate sensitive areas by the extended date, the rule requirements will apply to all motor vehicle waste disposal wells in the State and owners and operators have until January 1, 2008 to close the well or receive a permit, unless they are subject to a different compliance date pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) How to find out if your well is in a ground water protection area or sensitive ground water area. States are required to make their local source water assessments widely available to the public through a variety of methods after the assessments are complete. You can find out if your Class V well is in a ground water protection area by contacting the State agency responsible for the State Drinking Water Source Assessment and Protection Program in your area. You may call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 to find out who to call in your State for this information. The State office responsible for implementing the Drinking Water Source Assessment and Protection Program makes the final and official determination of boundaries for ground water protection areas. Because States that choose to delineate other sensitive ground water areas are also required to make the information on these areas accessible to the public, they may do so in a manner similar to the process used by the States in publicizing the EPA approved Drinking Water Source Assessment and Protection Program. You can find out if your Class V well is in an other sensitive ground water area by contacting the State or Federal agency responsible for the Underground Injection Control Program. You may call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 to find out who to call for information.

(e) Changes in the status of the EPA approved state drinking water source assessment and protection program. After January 1, 2004 your State may assess a ground water protection area for ground water supplying a new community water system or a new non-transient non-community water system that includes your Class V injection well. Also, your State may officially re-delineate the boundaries of a previously delineated ground water protection area to include additional areas that includes your motor vehicle waste disposal well. This would make the additional regulations apply to you if your motor vehicle waste disposal well is in such an area. The additional regulations start applying to you one year after the State completes the local assessment for the ground water protection area for the new drinking water system or the new re-delineated area. The UIC Program Director responsible for your area may extend this deadline for up to one year if the most efficient compliance option for the well is connection to a sanitary sewer or installation of new treatment technology.

(f) What happens if my state doesn't designate other sensitive ground water areas? If your State or EPA Region elects not to delineate the additional sensitive ground water areas, the additional regulations apply to you regardless of the location of your well by January 1, 2007, or January 2008 if an extension has been granted as explained in paragraph (c) of this section, except for wells in ground water protection areas which are subject to different compliance deadlines explained in paragraph (b) of this section.

(g) [Reserved]

(h) Application of requirements outside of ground water protection areas and sensitive ground water areas. EPA expects and strongly encourages States to use existing authorities in the UIC program to take whatever measures are needed to ensure Class V wells are not endangering USDWs in any other areas outside of delineated ground water protection areas and sensitive ground water areas. Such measures could include, if believed to be necessary by a UIC Program Director, applying the additional requirements below to other areas and/or other types of Class V wells. Therefore, the Director may apply the additional requirements to you, even if you are not located in the areas listed in paragraph (a) of this section.