[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-33663]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9615-1]


Final Reissuance of General NPDES Permits (GP) for Facilities 
Related to Oil and Gas Extraction

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10.

ACTION: Final Notice of reissuance of a general permit.

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SUMMARY: A GP regulating the activities of facilities related to oil 
and gas extraction on the North Slope of the Brooks Range, Alaska 
expired on January 2, 2009. On July 2, 2009, EPA proposed to reissue 
the GP expanding the coverage area to the TransAlaska Pipeline Corridor 
along with other potential corridors. There was a 45 day comment 
period. During the comment period, EPA received many comments and 
decided to make changes to the draft based on the comments received. On 
August 2, 2011, EPA re-noticed the GP with a new Fact Sheet requesting 
new comments. The comment permit ended on September 17, 2011.
    EPA received several comments, the major one being a request not to 
cover the pipeline corridors under this GP. EPA agreed so the final 
coverage area reverts back to the North Slope Borough, Alaska. EPA has 
also renumbered the permit to distinguish it from the previous GP which 
covered more types of discharges.

DATES: The GP (Permit Number AKG-33-1000 formerly AKG-33-0000) will be 
effective February 2, 2012. Facilities with administratively extended 
coverage under the expired GP whose discharges are covered by the GP 
will be covered on the effective date of this GP thus ending any 
administrative extension for those permittees. Facilities that are not 
covered by the new GP but have administratively extended coverage under 
the previous GP will continue to have coverage under AKG-33-0000 until 
a new permit is issued to address those discharges.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the GP and Response to Comments are available upon 
request. Written requests may be submitted to EPA, Region 10, 1200 
Sixth Avenue, Suite 900, OWW-130, Seattle, WA 98101. Electronic 
requests may be mailed to: [email protected] or 
[email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The GP, Fact Sheet and Response to 
Comments may be found on the Region 10 Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/water.nsf/NPDES+Permits/General+NPDES+Permits. 
Requests by telephone may be made to Audrey Washington at (206) 553-
0523 or to Cindi Godsey at (907) 271-6561.

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.
    The state of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation 
(ADEC), certified on December 19, 2011, that the subject discharges 
comply with the applicable provisions of Sections 208(e), 301, 302, 306 
and 307 of the Clean Water Act.
    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 these general permits, as issued, will not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities.

    Dated: December 22, 2011.
Michael A. Bussell,
Director, Office of Water & Watersheds, Region 10, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency.
[FR Doc. 2011-33663 Filed 12-30-11; 8:45 am]
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