Subsurface injection of liquid wastes is a waste-management practice that has recently become more common and has received more attention because of enactment of stricter controls on surface waste-disposal. To date, seven industrial waste-disposal wells have been drilled in West Virginia. Four of these wells were specifically drilled because of surface water disposal restrictions. Six wells are currently operational in the Kanawha River Valley and the Ohio River valley. Despite the existence of the seven industrial waste disposal wells, little comprehensive information had been gathered to assess the desirability of this practice, the long-term environmental effects, or the potential short term problems involved in specific situations.