[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 20397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5958]


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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: 
[email protected].

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