Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 07, July 26, 2024
Section 61-71.I - BORINGS1. Geotechnical Borings. a. Geotechnical borings shall be abandoned within five days of borehole completion.b. Geotechnical borings shall be backfilled with a suitable material, such as the native material removed from the boring, to eliminate safety hazards and infiltration of runoff into the boring.2. Exploration Boringsa. Exploration borings shall be abandoned or cased to observe groundwater levels within five days of borehole completion or completion of geophysical logging. When cased, the casing shall be grouted per the requirements of R.61-71.F.2. and shall be capped for safety when not in use.b. Exploration borings in near surface unconsolidated formations or saprolite shall be backfilled with a suitable material, such as the native material removed from the boring, to eliminate safety hazards and infiltration of runoff into the boring.c. Exploration borings in indurated or consolidated formations shall be abandoned by filling with either bentonite-cement, neat cement, 20% high solids sodium bentonite grout, sand, or gravel to within no less than twenty feet of the surface and the remainder shall be filled with neat cement, bentonite-cement, or 20% high solids sodium bentonite grout.d. Exploration borings in indurated or consolidated formations shall be abandoned by forced injection of grout or pouring through a tremie pipe starting at the bottom of the borehole and proceeding to the surface in one continuous operation.e. Special precautions shall be used to abandon exploration borings if natural voids, such as solution cavities in limestone, significant fractures, and shear zones, are encountered. Suitable grout and grouting methods shall be used when such conditions exist to ensure the long-term integrity of the grout in the abandoned borehole.f. Exploration borings constructed on property that is included in an active mine permit shall be exempt from this Section of this regulation.g. A form provided and/or approved by the Department shall be completed and submitted to the Department within 30 days after completion of the exploration project, or phase in exploration drilling, whichever occurs first. The Department shall treat the approved form completed and submitted for exploration boring abandonment as confidential trade secrets and proprietary business information and not subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.3. Environmental Soil Sampling Borings a. All analytical data obtained from each environmental soil sampling boring shall be submitted to the Department within 30 days of receipt of laboratory results unless another schedule has been approved_by_the Department.b. The boring shall be abandoned within five days of borehole completion.c. Borings five feet in depth or shallower may be abandoned by backfilling with native fill material.d. Borings greater than five feet in depth shall be completely filled from the bottom of the borehole to the land surface with bentonite-cement, neat cement, or 20% high solids sodium bentonite grout.e. The boring shall be abandoned by forced injection of grout or pouring through a tremie pipe starting at the bottom of the borehole and proceeding to the surface in one continuous operation.f. A Water Well Record Form 1903 or other form provided and/or approved by the Department shall be completed and submitted to the Department within 30 days after abandonment.4. Horizontal Borings.a. Horizontal borings shall be backfilled with a suitable material, such as the native material removed from the boring, to eliminate safety hazards and infiltration of runoff into the boring.