OAK HALL, Va. — A zoning appeal involving the proposed Vaulted Deep project in Accomack County has been withdrawn, county officials confirmed Tuesday morning.
According to Accomack County Administrator Mike Mason, county staff received formal notice from a representative of Vaulted Deep stating that the company is withdrawing its appeal of the County Zoning Administrator’s determination. The notice also requested that the county take no further action related to the appeal.
Vaulted Deep had proposed injecting poultry processing waste more than a mile underground at Ish Farm LLC, a property located just off Route 13 in Oak Hall. The land, owned by Muhammed Parvez, is zoned agricultural.
Attorneys for Vaulted Deep argued that the proposed deep injection operation qualified as a legitimate agricultural use under county zoning regulations. County officials disagreed.
In an Oct. 10, 2025, letter to company representatives, Deputy County Administrator for Community and Economic Development Leander “Lee” Pambid wrote that the Accomack County Zoning Ordinance does not list deep injection wells, injection wells, or similar underground storage or disposal methods as either permitted or conditional uses.
“As such,” Pambid wrote, “the proposed use is not allowed anywhere in Accomack County under the current zoning language.”
Vaulted Deep subsequently appealed that determination to the Accomack County Board of Zoning Appeals. The company requested that the board structure the hearing so county officials would first explain the basis of the zoning decision, followed by a rebuttal from the applicant.
The appeal materials asked the board to consider all applicable ordinances, laws, and regulations in its review.
According to county officials, the hearing was initially scheduled for January but was later postponed to March at the request of the applicant’s attorney, Grady Palmer.
With the withdrawal of the appeal, Mason said the zoning case is now closed from the county’s perspective. No additional hearings or actions are scheduled.
What Is Deep Well Injection?
Deep well injection is a waste disposal method regulated at the federal level under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program, established by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The process involves pumping liquid waste into porous rock formations thousands of feet below the Earth’s surface, typically beneath multiple impermeable rock layers designed to prevent upward migration of fluids.
In the case of the proposed Vaulted Deep project, poultry processing waste would have been injected more than one mile underground, far below drinking water aquifers that generally exist within the first few hundred feet below ground.
These deep geological formations often include saline reservoirs that already contain highly mineralized water unsuitable for human use.
Why Poultry Waste Is Injected
Poultry processing facilities generate large volumes of wastewater containing organic material such as:
- blood and fats
- proteins and nutrients
- residual cleaning chemicals
In some states, deep well injection has been used as an alternative to surface wastewater treatment or land application, particularly where nutrient runoff poses environmental risks to surface waters.
Proponents argue that deep injection permanently isolates waste, reducing the risk of nitrogen and phosphorus entering rivers, groundwater, or sensitive ecosystems such as the Chesapeake Bay.
Environmental and Scientific Concerns
While deep well injection has been used for decades across the United States — particularly in the oil, gas, and chemical industries — it remains controversial.
Scientists and regulators closely examine several potential risks:
- Well integrity failure, including corrosion or casing leaks
- Fluid migration through unknown faults or fractures
- Induced seismic activity, which has been documented in some high-volume injection regions
- Long-term monitoring challenges, as injected material cannot be easily retrieved
Modern injection wells are typically constructed with multiple layers of steel casing and cement, pressure monitoring systems, and continuous reporting requirements.
However, critics argue that site-specific geology, proximity to coastal aquifers, and long-term liability are significant factors that must be evaluated carefully — particularly on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where freshwater supplies exist in shallow, interconnected aquifer systems.
Regulatory Oversight
Even if zoning approval had been granted, the project would still have required:
- EPA Underground Injection Control permits
- Extensive geologic testing
- Aquifer modeling
- Long-term monitoring plans
- Public comment and federal environmental review
County officials emphasized that the zoning determination addressed only whether the use is allowed under local land-use law, not whether the project would ultimately meet state or federal environmental standards.
With the appeal withdrawn, the proposal cannot move forward under existing county zoning regulations unless the ordinance is amended or a new application is submitted under different land-use provisions.
For now, county officials say the matter is considered closed.
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