[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 109 (Thursday, June 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 31579]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-11034]



[[Page 31579]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8323-3]


Final NPDES General Permit for Discharges From the Oil and Gas 
Extraction Point Source Category to Coastal Waters in Texas (TXG330000)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of NPDES General Permit Reissuance.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA Region 6 today issues a National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES) general permit regulating discharges from 
oil and gas wells in the Coastal Subcategory in Texas and regulating 
produced water discharges from wells in the Stripper and Offshore 
Subcategories which discharge into coastal waters of Texas.
    The general permit prohibits the discharge of drilling fluid, drill 
cuttings, produced sand and well treatment, completion and workover 
fluids. Produced water discharges are prohibited, except from wells in 
the Stripper Subcategory located east of the 98th meridian whose 
produced water comes from the Carrizo/Wilcox, Reklaw or Bartosh 
formations in Texas. Monitoring for oil and grease and total dissolved 
solids is required for those produced water discharges. Discharge of 
dewatering effluent is prohibited, except from reserve pits which have 
not received drilling fluids and/or drill cuttings since January 15, 
1997. The discharge of deck drainage, formation test fluids, sanitary 
waste, domestic waste and miscellaneous discharges is authorized.
    A copy of the Region's final permit may be obtained from the EPA 
Region 6 Internet site: http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6wq/6wq.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Diane Smith, Water Quality 
Protection Division, Region 6, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733, telephone: (214) 665-7191, 
or via e-mail at: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulated entities. EPA intends to use the 
reissued permit to regulate oil and gas extraction facilities located 
in the coastal waters of Texas, e.g., oil and gas extraction platforms, 
but other types of facilities may also be subject to the permit. The 
permit authorizes some produced water discharges from Stripper 
Subcategory wells to coastal waters. To determine whether your 
facility, company, business, organization, etc., may be affected by 
today's action, you should carefully examine the applicability criteria 
in Part I, Section A.1 of the draft permit. Questions on the permit's 
application to specific facilities may also be directed to Ms. Smith at 
the telephone number or address listed above.
    The permit contains limitations conforming to EPA's Oil and Gas 
extraction, Coastal and Stripper Subcategory Effluent Limitations 
Guidelines at 40 CFR Part 435 as well as requirements assuring that 
regulated discharges will comply with Texas State Water Quality 
Standards. Specific information on the derivation of those limitations 
and conditions is contained in the fact sheet.
    Pursuant to section 402 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), 33 U.S.C. 
1342, EPA proposed and solicited comments on NPDES general permit 
TXG330000 at 71 FR 78204 (December 28, 2006). Notice of the proposed 
permit modification was also published in the Houston Chronicle on 
December 30, 2006 and the Corpus Christi Caller on January 5, 2007. The 
comment period closed on February 20, 2007. No comments were received 
on the proposed permit; therefore, no changes have been made in the 
final permit.

    Dated: May 31, 2007.
Miguel I. Flores,
Director, Water Quality Protection Division, Region 6.
[FR Doc. E7-11034 Filed 6-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P