[Federal Register: April 20, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 76)]
[Notices]
[Page 20397]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20ap06-34]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8160-2]
Proposed Reissuance of the NPDES General Permit for Oil and Gas
Exploration, Development and Production Facilities Located in State and
Federal Waters in Cook Inlet, AK (AKG-31-5000)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed NPDES general permit reissuance--extension of the
comment period.
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SUMMARY: In response to numerous requests from the oil and gas
industry, local governments, community groups, and Tribes, EPA hereby
extends the comment period for an additional 30 days, from May 1, 2006
to May 31, 2006.
DATES: Comments must be received by May 31, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to: Director, Office of Water and
Watersheds, U.S. EPA, Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue, M/S OWW-130,
Seattle, Washington 98101.
Comments may also be submitted via e-mail to the following address:
shaw.hanh@epa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Hanh Shaw, U.S. EPA, Region 10,
1200 Sixth Avenue, M/S OWW-130, Seattle, Washington 98101. Telephone:
(206) 553-0171. A copy of the Proposed Permit, the fact sheet that
fully explains the proposal and a copy of EPA's Environmental
Assessment (EA) and preliminary Finding of No Significant Impacts
(FONSI), prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), may be obtained from Ms. Shaw. EPA's current administrative
record on the proposal is available for examination at U.S. EPA, 1200
Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. Additionally, a copy of the proposed
permit, fact sheet, EA, preliminary FONSI, and this Federal Register
Notice may be obtained on the Internet at:http://www.epa.gov/r10earth.
The documents are also available from the EPA Alaska Operations
Office, Room 537, Federal Building, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage,
Alaska 99513. Please contact Ms. Dianne Soderlund at (907) 271-3425 for
assistance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The existing permit, NPDES Permit No. AKG-
28-5000 (Existing Permit), was previously reissued on April 1, 1999 and
expired on April 1, 2004 (64 FR 19156). The Existing Permit will remain
in effect until a new permit is reissued for those discharges which
were covered at the time of expiration. The Existing Permit authorizes
discharges from oil and gas exploration, development, and production
facilities located in and discharging to state and Federal waters in
Cook Inlet north of a line extending between Cape Douglas (at
58[deg]51[min] latitude, 153[deg]15[min] longitude) on the west and
Port Chatham (at 59[deg]13[min] latitude, 151[deg]47[min] longitude) on
the east. EPA proposes to replace the Existing Permit with the proposed
reissued permit (Proposed Permit), renumbered as AKG-31-5000.
The following changes are proposed to be made as a part of the
permit reissuance:
1. EPA proposes to expand the existing coverage area to include the
recent Minerals Management Service Lease Sales Nos. 191 and 199 and the
State waters adjoining those lease areas.
2. EPA proposes to authorize discharges from oil and gas
exploration facilities located within the expanded coverage area,
including discharges associated with the use of synthetic-based
drilling fluids.
3. EPA proposes to authorize discharges from new oil and gas
development and production facilities located within the expanded
coverage area, including sanitary waste water, domestic waste water,
deck drainage, and miscellaneous discharges such as cooling water and
boiler blowdown. These new development and production facilities,
however, would not be authorized to discharge produced water, drilling
fluids, or drill cuttings under the Proposed Permit.
4. EPA proposes to add new whole effluent toxicity and technology-
based limits for discharges that contain treatment chemicals, such as
biocides and corrosion inhibitors. These discharges include, but are
not limited to, water flood waste water, cooling water, boiler
blowdown, and desalination unit waste water.
5. EPA proposes to add a new water quality-based effluent limit for
total residual chlorine.
6. EPA proposes to change the monitoring requirements found in the
Existing Permit. The proposed changes would result in increased
monitoring for facilities that violate the effluent limits, and reduced
monitoring for facilities that demonstrate a good compliance record.
7. EPA proposes to expand the Existing Permit's baseline study to
include all new facilities.
8. EPA proposes to include a new study that will involve collecting
ambient data to determine the effect of large volume produced water
discharges on Cook Inlet.
9. EPA proposes to expand the permit's discharge prohibition near
protected areas, coastal marshes, and deltas.
10. EPA proposes to change the permit number from AKG-28-5000 to
AKG-31-5000.
Dated: April 17, 2006.
Michael F. Gearheard,
Director, Office of Water and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. E6-5958 Filed 4-19-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P