Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Underground Injection Control Program
The TCEQ Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program's Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) outlines quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) measures, plus performance and acceptance standards, to ensure environmental data from UIC operations meet all regulatory requirements accurately and reliably.
TCEQ UIC Program QAPP
The TCEQ UIC Program is designed to protect underground sources of drinking water (USDW) and provide a safe and cost-effective way for industries, municipalities, and small businesses in Texas to dispose of wastewater, extract mineral resources, store water for future recovery, and remediate and prevent pollution of USDWs in Texas.
The TCEQ UIC Program QAPP outlines the QA/QC measures necessary for UIC-related activities to ensure the state regulatory requirements are met. The QAPP is organized into 26 sections that parallel federal guidelines and cover project management and data quality objectives, implementation of environmental information operations, assessment response actions and oversight, and environmental information review and usability determination. Each fiscal year the TCEQ is required to submit the QAPP to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval.
Required Laboratory Documentation
All permittees and waste generators must use a laboratory accredited by the Texas Laboratory Accreditation Program, unless exempted under 30 Texas Administrative Code §25.6. All exempt and nonexempt laboratories must complete QA/QC documentation. These documents provide a transparent record of analytical methods, and any issues encountered during testing. The required documentation includes the following:
- Laboratory Data Report Instructions (Appendix D): Instructions for completing the Laboratory Data Report QA/QC Checklist and Laboratory Case Narrative.
- Laboratory Data Report Checklist (Appendix E): The laboratory must complete this checklist to verify that their analytical data meets the requirements for TCEQ UIC Program compliance.
- Laboratory Case Narrative (Appendix F): The laboratory must identify any sample matrix interference problems encountered during analysis. The narrative must also describe corrective actions the laboratory took to resolve the issue including calling the TCEQ or modifying the analytical method.