[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4344-4345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01507]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9905-85-Region 10]


Proposed Issuance of the NPDES General Permit for Oil and Gas 
Geotechnical Surveying and Related Activities in Federal Waters of the 
Beaufort and Chukchi Seas

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On November 22, 2013, EPA provided public notice on the 
proposed issuance of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 
(NPDES) General Permit for Oil and Gas Geotechnical Surveys and Related 
Activities in Federal Waters of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas (Permit 
No. AKG-28-4300), and established a comment deadline of January 27, 
2014, (78 FR 70042). On January 15, 2014, the Alaska Eskimo Whaling 
Commission requested a 30-day extension to the comment period. In 
response to that request, EPA is extending the comment period for an 
additional 23 days, from January 27, 2014 to February 19, 2014.

DATES: Comments. The public comment period for the draft Geotechnical 
General Permit is extended as of the date of publication of this Notice 
until February 19, 2014. Comments must be received or post-marked by no 
later than midnight Pacific Standard Time on February 19, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods. EPA 
will consider all comments received during the public comment period 
prior to making its final decision.
    Mail: Send paper comments to Erin Seyfried, Office of Water and 
Watersheds, Mail Stop OWW-130, 1200 6th Avenue, Suite 900, Seattle, WA 
98101-3140.
    Email: Send electronic comments to [email protected].
    Fax: Fax comments to the attention of Erin Seyfried at (206) 553-
0165.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: Deliver comments to Erin Seyfried, Office of 
Water and Watersheds, Mail Stop OWW-130, 1200 6th Avenue, Suite 900, 
Seattle, WA 98101-3140. Call (206) 553-0523 before delivery to verify 
business hours.
    Viewing and/or Obtaining Copies of Documents. A copy of the draft 
Geotechnical General Permit and the Fact Sheet, which explains the 
proposal in detail, may be obtained by contacting EPA at 1 (800) 424-
4372. Copies of the documents are also available for viewing and 
downloading at:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/water.nsf/npdes+permits/DraftPermitsAK
http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/water.nsf/npdes+permits/arctic-gp.
    See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for other document viewing locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Seyfried, Office of Water and 
Watersheds, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, Mail Stop 
OWW-130, 1200 6th Avenue, Suite 900, Seattle, WA 98101-3140, (206) 553-
1448, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Fact Sheet describes the types of 
facilities and the discharges proposed to be authorized by the 
Geotechnical General Permit; the proposed effluent limits and other 
conditions; maps and descriptions of the proposed Area of Coverage; and 
a summary of the supporting technical materials.
    Document Viewing Locations. The draft Geotechnical General Permit 
and Fact Sheet may also be viewed at the following locations:
    (1) EPA Region 10 Library, Park Place Building, 1200 6th Avenue, 
Suite 900, Seattle, WA 98101; (206) 553-1289.
    (2) EPA Region 10, Alaska Operations Office, 222 W 7th Avenue, 
19, Room 537, Anchorage, AK 99513; (907) 271-5083.
    (3) DEC Anchorage Office, 555 Cordova Street, Anchorage, AK 99501; 
(907) 269-7235.
    (4) Z. J. Loussac Public Library, 3600 Denali Street, Anchorage, AK 
99503; (907) 343-2975.
    (5) North Slope Borough School District Library/Media Center, Pouch 
169, 829 Aivak Street, Barrow, AK 99723; (907) 852-5311.
    EPA's current administrative record for the draft Geotechnical 
General Permit is available for review at the EPA Region 10 Office, 
Park Place Building, 1200 6th Avenue, Suite 900, Seattle, WA 98101, 
between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Contact Erin 
Seyfried at [email protected] or (206) 553-1448.
    Oil Spill Requirements. Section 311 of the Act, 33 U.S.C. 1321, 
prohibits the discharge of oil and hazardous materials in harmful 
quantities. Discharges authorized under the Geotechnical General Permit 
are excluded from the provisions of CWA Section 311, 33 U.S.C. 1321. 
However, the Geotechnical General Permit will not preclude the 
institution of legal action, or relieve the permittees from any 
responsibilities, liabilities, or penalties for other unauthorized 
discharges of oil and hazardous materials, which are covered by Section 
311.
    Executive Order 12866. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

[[Page 4345]]

exempts this action from the review requirements of Executive Order 
12866 pursuant to Section 6 of that order.
    Paperwork Reduction Act. EPA has reviewed the requirements imposed 
on regulated facilities in the Geotechnical General Permit and finds 
them consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, 44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.
    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 FRA. Notwithstanding that general permits are not subject to the 
RFA, EPA has determined that the Geotechnical General Permit will not 
have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
This determination is based on the fact that the regulated companies 
are not classified as small businesses under the Small Business 
Administration regulations established at 49 FR 5023 et seq. (February 
9, 1984). These facilities are classified as Major Group 13--Oil as Gas 
Extraction SIC 1311 Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas.

    Authority:  This action is taken under the authority of Section 
402 of the Clean Water Act as amended, 42 U.S.C. 1342. I hereby 
provide notice that the public comment period for the draft 
Geotechnical General Permit is extended until February 19, 2014, in 
accordance with 40 CFR 124.10 and 124.13.

    Dated: January 16, 2014.
Daniel D. Opalski,
Director, Office of Water and Watersheds, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 2014-01507 Filed 1-24-14; 8:45 am]
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