50-State Thermal Desorption & Drill Cuttings Laws
State-by-state Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (OGCC) drill cuttings disposal rules, state environmental agency (DEQ/DNR) beneficial reuse standards for thermal desorption treated solids ($\text{TPH} < 1,000\text{ mg/kg}$), and Title V air emissions permitting for indirect thermal kilns.
| State | Governing Oil & Gas Commission / Environmental DEQ | Drill Cuttings & Industrial Solids Remediation Mandate | Beneficial Soil Reuse Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) Limit | Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU) Air Emissions Permit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State Oil & Gas Board of Alabama / ADEM | Mandatory E&P Waste Characterization | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg (ADEM Admin Code 335) | Air Title V / Major Source Permit |
| Alaska | AOGCC / Alaska DEC Division of Spill Prevention | North Slope cuttings treatment standard | TPH < 500 mg/kg Arctic cleanup rule | ADEC Air Quality Control Permit |
| Arizona | Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation / ADEQ | Hydrocarbon soil remediation rules | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg soil screening level | ADEQ Class II Air Quality Permit |
| Arkansas | Arkansas OGC / ADEQ Solid Waste Division | Fayetteville Shale cuttings recycling | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg beneficial fill | ADEQ Title V Air Operating Permit |
| California | CalGEM / Cal/EPA DTSC & Regional Water Boards | Strict Non-Hazardous E&P Waste Rules | Strict TPH < 100 mg/kg & zero BTEX | Strict SCAQMD / SJVAPCD Air Permit |
| Colorado | ECMC (formerly COGCC) / CDPHE Hazardous Waste | ECMC Series 900 E&P Waste Management | TPH < 500 mg/kg DJ Basin beneficial reuse | CDPHE Air Pollution Control Permit |
| Connecticut | CT DEEP Remediation Division | RSR soil remediation standards | TPH < 500 mg/kg residential criteria | CT DEEP Title V Air Permit |
| Delaware | DNREC Site Investigation & Restoration | HSCA industrial soil remediation | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg industrial reuse | DNREC Regulation 1130 Air Permit |
| Florida | Florida DEP Office of Oil & Gas / Waste Section | FAC 62-777 soil cleanup target levels | TPH < 340 mg/kg commercial SCTL | Florida DEP Air Construction Permit |
| Georgia | Georgia EPD Land Protection Branch | Industrial sludge remediation rules | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg non-residential fill | Georgia EPD Air Quality Permit |
| Hawaii | Hawaii DOH Environmental Management Division | EAL soil cleanup action levels | TPH < 500 mg/kg commercial reuse | Clean Air Branch Covered Source Permit |
| Idaho | Idaho Department of Lands (OGCC) / Idaho DEQ | IDAPA 58.01.24 E&P waste rules | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg initial screening | Idaho DEQ Air Quality Permit |
| Illinois | Illinois DNR Office of Oil & Gas / Illinois EPA | Illinois Basin cuttings management | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg TACO Tier 1 standard | Illinois EPA CAAPP Air Permit |
| Indiana | Indiana DNR Oil & Gas / IDEM Land Quality | 312 IAC drill cuttings disposal | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg RISC industrial table | IDEM FESOP Air Quality Permit |
| Iowa | Iowa DNR Land Quality Bureau | Contaminated site remediation | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg Tier 1 statewide | Iowa DNR Title V Operating Permit |
| Kansas | Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) / KDHE | KCC E&P waste pit & cuttings rules | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg beneficial road subbase | KDHE Air Quality Operating Permit |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Division of Oil & Gas / Kentucky EEC | 805 KAR drill waste reclamation | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg industrial soil fill | Division for Air Quality Permit |
| Louisiana | LDNR Office of Conservation / LDEQ (LAC 43:XIX) | Strict Statewide Order 29-B E&P Waste | TPH < 1.0% (10,000 mg/kg) 29-B roadbase | LDEQ Title V Air Operating Permit |
| Maine | Maine DEP Remediation & Waste Management | DEP Chapter 418 beneficial use | TPH < 500 mg/kg commercial standard | Maine DEP Air Emission License |
| Maryland | MDE Minerals, Oil & Gas / Waste Program | COMAR 26.19 energy waste rules | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg clean soil matrix | MDE Air & Radiation Permit |
| Massachusetts | MassDEP Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup | 310 CMR 40.0000 MCP soil criteria | TPH < 500 mg/kg S-2 / S-3 standard | MassDEP Air Quality Operating Permit |
| Michigan | EGLE Oil, Gas, and Minerals Division (OGMD) | Part 615 E&P drill cuttings rules | TPH < 500 mg/kg Part 201 generic cleanup | EGLE Air Quality Permit to Install (PTI) |
| Minnesota | MPCA Remediation Division | Petroleum contaminated soil recycling | TPH < 500 mg/kg industrial soil criteria | MPCA Air Quality Operating Permit |
| Mississippi | State Oil & Gas Board of Mississippi / MDEQ | Rule 68 E&P waste management | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg non-hazardous reuse | MDEQ Title V Air Operating Permit |
| Missouri | Missouri DNR Division of Environmental Quality | 10 CSR 25 soil management | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg MRBCA guidelines | Missouri DNR Air Quality Permit |
| Montana | Montana Board of Oil & Gas (MBOGC) / MDEQ | ARM 36.22 drill waste disposal | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg Bakken soil standard | MDEQ Air Quality Operating Permit |
| Nebraska | Nebraska OGCC / NDEE Waste Management | Title 267 drill waste management | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg voluntary cleanup | NDEE Title 129 Air Quality Permit |
| Nevada | Nevada Division of Minerals (NDOM) / NDEP | NAC 522 oil and gas cuttings rules | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg mining subbase fill | NDEP Bureau of Air Pollution Permit |
| New Hampshire | NHDES Waste Management Division | Env-Or 600 contaminated soil rules | TPH < 500 mg/kg soil remediation | NHDES Air Resources Permit |
| New Jersey | NJDEP Site Remediation & Waste Management | N.J.A.C. 7:26E technical standards | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg non-residential standard | NJDEP Title V Operating Permit |
| New Mexico | NMOCD (Energy & Minerals) / NMED (19.15 NMAC) | Strict Part 36 Surface Waste Facility Permit | TPH < 100–1,000 mg/kg Permian Basin reuse | NMED Air Quality Bureau Permit |
| New York | NYS DEC Division of Mineral Resources (Part 550) | 6 NYCRR Part 360 Solid Waste Recycling | Strict TPH < 500 mg/kg & zero PFAS | NYSDEC Title V Air Facility Permit |
| North Carolina | NC DEQ Division of Energy, Mineral & Land | NCGS 113-391 oil and gas waste rules | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg non-residential soil | NC DEQ Division of Air Quality Permit |
| North Dakota | NDIC Department of Mineral Resources (OGD) | NDAC 43-02-03 Bakken Cuttings Treatment | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg road subbase specification | ND DEQ Division of Air Quality Permit |
| Ohio | ODNR Division of Oil & Gas / Ohio EPA | OAC 1501:9 Utica / Marcellus cuttings rules | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg beneficial fill standard | Ohio EPA Air Pollution Control Permit |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC Rule 165:10) | Mandatory OCC Commercial Soil Farming / TDU | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg STACK/SCOOP road reuse | ODEQ Air Quality Operating Permit |
| Oregon | DOGAMI / Oregon DEQ Land Quality | OAR 340-122 cleanup rules | TPH < 500 mg/kg industrial matrix | Oregon DEQ Title V Air Permit |
| Pennsylvania | PA DEP Oil & Gas Management (25 Pa. Code 78a) | Marcellus Shale drill cuttings treatment | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg General Permit WMGR123 | PA DEP Plan Approval Air Permit |
| Rhode Island | RIDEM Office of Waste Management | 250-RICR-140-30 soil standards | TPH < 500 mg/kg commercial cleanup | RIDEM Office of Air Resources Permit |
| South Carolina | SC DHEC Bureau of Land & Waste Management | R.61-107 solid waste management | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg industrial fill | SC DHEC Bureau of Air Quality Permit |
| South Dakota | SD DANR Minerals & Mining Program | ARSD 74:10 oil and gas rules | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg soil remediation | SD DANR Air Quality Operating Permit |
| Tennessee | TDEC Division of Mineral & Waste Resources | Rule 0400-52-01 oil and gas waste | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg commercial criteria | TDEC Division of Air Pollution Permit |
| Texas | Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC Rule 8 & 91) | Mandatory RRC Rule 8 Commercial TDU Permit | TPH < 1.0% (10,000 mg/kg) roadbase / < 1,000 reuse | TCEQ Standard Air Permit for TDUs |
| Utah | UDOGM / Utah DEQ Division of Waste | UAC R649 E&P waste management | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg Uinta Basin roadbase | Utah DAQ Operating Air Permit |
| Vermont | VT DEC Waste Management & Prevention | Investigation & Remediation of Soil | TPH < 500 mg/kg industrial standard | VT Air Quality & Climate Division Permit |
| Virginia | Virginia Energy (Gas & Oil) / VDEQ Waste | 4 VAC 25-150 coalbed methane waste | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg voluntary remediation | VDEQ Title V Air Operating Permit |
| Washington | DNR Division of Geology / Washington Ecology | MTCA Model Toxics Control Act | Strict TPH < 500 mg/kg industrial soil | Ecology Air Quality Operating Permit |
| West Virginia | WV DEP Office of Oil & Gas (CSR 35-4) | Marcellus horizontal cuttings management | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg DEP beneficial reuse | WV DEP Division of Air Quality Permit |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin DNR Remediation & Redevelopment | NR 720 soil cleanup standards | TPH < 500 mg/kg industrial soil criteria | Wisconsin DNR Air Management Permit |
| Wyoming | WOGCC / Wyoming DEQ Land Quality Division | Chapter 4 WOGCC E&P waste rules | TPH < 1,000 mg/kg PRB commercial reuse | WDEQ Air Quality Division Permit |