[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 147 (Monday, August 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 45792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19127]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9445-4; Permit No. AKG-33-000]


Proposed Reissuance of a General NPDES Permit for Facilities 
Related to Oil and Gas Extraction

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Proposed reissuance of a general permit.

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SUMMARY: On January 2, 2009, the general permit (GP) regulating 
activities related to the extraction of oil and gas on the North Slope 
of the Brooks Range in the state of Alaska expired. This proposed 
reissuance of a general permit, AKG-33-0000, is intended to regulate 
activities related to the extraction of oil and gas on the North Slope 
of the Brooks Range in the state of Alaska plus the proposed area 
expansion described in the Fact Sheet including activities along the 
Trans Alaskan Pipeline corridor previously covered by Alyeska Pipeline 
Services, Inc.'s NPDES permit, AK-005056-3. The draft general permit 
would cover the same discharges as the previous general permit except 
for domestic wastewater discharges. The covered discharges include 
gravel pit dewatering, construction dewatering, hydrostatic test water, 
mobile spill response, and storm water from industrial activities. The 
proposed reissuance also includes a new outfall designation for the 
discharge of secondary containment water. When issued, the proposed 
permit will establish effluent limitations, standards, prohibitions and 
other conditions on discharges from covered facilities. These 
conditions are based on existing national effluent guidelines, the 
state of Alaska's Water Quality Standards and material contained in the 
administrative record. A description of the basis for the conditions 
and requirements of the draft general permit is given in the Fact 
Sheet. This is also notice of the Clean Water Act Sec.  401 draft 
Certification provided by the state of Alaska and the termination of 
administrative extensions as described in the Fact Sheet.
    The reissuance of this general permit was previously public noticed 
on July 2, 2009. EPA has changed some permit conditions in this 
proposal based on the comments received in 2009.

DATES: Interested persons may submit comments on the proposed 
reissuance of the general permit to EPA, Region 10 at the address 
below. Comments must be postmarked by September 15, 2011. EPA received 
many comments on the previous proposal and attempted to address some of 
these in the re-proposal so please submit new comments on this action.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed general permit reissuance should be 
sent to the attention of the Director, Office of Water & Watersheds, 
EPA--Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 OWW-130, Seattle, WA 
98101. Comments may also be submitted electronically to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the proposed general permit 
and Fact Sheet are available upon request. Requests may be made to 
Audrey Washington at (206) 553-0523 or to Cindi Godsey at (907) 271-
6561. Requests may also be electronically mailed to: 
[email protected] or [email protected].
    These documents may also be found on the EPA Region 10 Web site at 
http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/WATER.NSF/NPDES+Permits/DraftPermitsAK.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Executive Order 12866: The Office of Management and Budget has 
exempted this action from the review requirements of Executive Order 
12866 pursuant to Section 6 of that order.
    Regulatory Flexibility Act: Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act 
(RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., a Federal agency must prepare an initial 
regulatory flexibility analysis ``for any proposed rule'' for which the 
agency ``is required by section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act 
(APA), or any other law, to publish general notice of proposed 
rulemaking.'' The RFA exempts from this requirement any rule that the 
issuing agency certifies ``will not, if promulgated, have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.'' EPA has 
concluded that NPDES general permits are permits, not rulemakings, 
under the APA and thus not subject to APA rulemaking requirements or 
the RFA. Notwithstanding that general permits are not subject to the 
RFA, EPA has determined that this GP, as issued, will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

    Dated: July 21, 2011.
Christine Psyk,
Associate Director, Office of Water & Watersheds, Region 10, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency.
[FR Doc. 2011-19127 Filed 7-29-11; 8:45 am]
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