577.155. Waste disposal wells prohibited--term defined--permitted acts--penalty.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

577.155. Waste disposal wells prohibited--term defined--permitted acts--penalty.

Waste disposal wells prohibited--term defined--permittedacts--penalty.

577.155. 1. No person, firm, corporation or politicalsubdivision shall construct or use any waste disposal welllocated in this state.

2. As used in this section, "waste disposal well" shall meanany subsurface void porous formation or cavity, natural orartificial, used for the disposal of liquid or semi-aqueous wasteexcept as excluded in subsection 3 of this section.

3. "Waste disposal well" shall not include:

(1) Sanitary landfills or surface mining pits used for thedisposal of nonputrescible solid wastes as defined in section64.460, RSMo;

(2) Cesspools used solely for disposal of waste from privateresidences; or

(3) Septic tanks used solely for disposal of waste.

4. It shall not be a violation of this section to:

(1) Inject or return fluids into subsurface formations inconnection with oil or gas operations regulated by the state oiland gas council pursuant to chapter 259, RSMo;

(2) Inject or return water into subsurface formationspursuant to chapter 644, RSMo, and section 192.020, RSMo, inconnection with the following instances:

(a) Any groundwater heat pump injection/withdrawal well thatis limited to a single family residence;

(b) Any groundwater heat pump injection/withdrawal well thatis limited to eight or less single family residences as long asthe combined injection/withdrawal rate is less than six hundredthousand British Thermal Units per hour;

(c) All other uses of groundwater heat pumpinjection/withdrawal wells shall be subject to a permittingprocedure as established and regulated by the clean watercommission; or

(3) Backfill cavities as an integral part of the miningoperation with aggregate or other material obtained from thatoperation to either reduce accumulation of waste on the surfaceor to provide additional ground support in the mined-out areas orto inundate such cavities with water devoid of toxic liquidwastes, but the person, firm, or corporation who so backfills maynot do so without the consent of the owner of the property to bebackfilled.

5. Any person, firm, or corporation who violates anyprovision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, uponconviction, shall be punished as provided by law. Each day ofviolation constitutes a separate offense.