[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 55839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22240]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6632-6]


Gulf of Mexico Offshore Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Extraction 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System General Permit 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (SEIS) on the proposed reissuance of a National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System General Permit (GP) applicable to oil and 
gas extraction facilities offshore of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida 
located in Gulf of Mexico waters that are under EPA Region 4 
jurisdiction.

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    Purpose: Pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.7 and in accordance with section 
102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), EPA has 
identified the need to prepare a SEIS and therefore issues this Notice 
of Intent pursuant to 40 CFR 1507.7.
    For Further Information, To Submit Comments and To Be Placed on the 
Project Mailing List Contact: Ms Lena Scott, Environmental Protection 
Agency--Region 4, Office of Environmental Assessment, 61 Forsyth 
Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Telephone: (404) 562-9607 or FAX: 
(404) 562-9598 or E-mail:[email protected].

SUMMARY: EPA intends to prepare the SEIS to evaluate the impacts of 
issuing a GP for regulating the discharge of pollutants into federal 
waters of the Gulf of Mexico under Region 4 jurisdiction that result 
from exploratory drilling, development and completion of productive 
wells and the production of oil and gas resources. On January 22, 2001, 
final effluent limitations for synthetic-based drilling fluids (SBF) 
were promulgated by EPA. SBF along with conventional water based-fluids 
will now be considered for allowable discharge under a reissued GP. EPA 
is required to conduct this environmental review because oil and gas 
production activities are defined as new sources pursuant to 40 CFR 
122.29. A consultant under contract to EPA will assist in the 
preparation of the SEIS.
    Need for Action: Regulations (40 CFR 122.28), pursuant to section 
402 of the Clean Water Act, authorize EPA to issue a general permit 
when it is appropriate for a category of point source discharges under 
the same operating conditions and within a specified geographic area. 
Based on the present information and the environmental review completed 
in 1998 for the GP presently in force, primary environmental concerns 
to be addressed in the SEIS include impacts from pollutant discharges 
to the marine environment including bottom-dwelling biota and water 
column biota. Bioaccumulation of pollutants in marine organisms 
consumed by humans will also be addressed. Based on the industry's 
interest in deep water areas of the Outer Continental Shelf, the SEIS 
will emphasize potential impacts to the deep water environment not 
fully addressed in the 1998 EIS. Absent EPA's reissuance, the existing 
GP will expire in 2003 and all NPDES permitting would require 
individual permits for each exploration and production project.
    Alternatives: The following proposed alternatives have been 
defined:
     EPA reissues the GP in its present form.
     EPA revises the GP to include SBF.
     EPA withholds issuance of any general permit and the 
existing GP expires in 2003 (the No Action Alternative).
    Scoping: EPA is requesting written comments from federal, state and 
local governments, industry and the general public on the need for 
action, scope of the alternatives, and environmental and economic 
concerns. The scoping process will last for 45 days beginning with the 
availability of this Notice.
    Estimated Date of Draft SEIS Release: February 2003.
    Responsible Official: J. I. Palmer, Jr., Regional Administrator, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4.

    Dated: August 26, 2002.
Anne Norton Miller,
Director, OFA.
[FR Doc. 02-22240 Filed 8-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P