[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 61293]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27947]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9972-43-Region 4]


Notice of Final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 
(NPDES) General Permit for the Eastern Portion of the Outer Continental 
Shelf (OCS) of the Gulf of Mexico (GEG460000); Availability of Finding 
of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Reissuance of NPDES General Permit.

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SUMMARY: Today, the EPA Region 4 (the ``Region'') is reissuing the 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit 
for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) of the Gulf of Mexico (General 
Permit No. GEG460000) for new and existing source discharges in the 
Offshore Subcategory of the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source 
Category. This reissued general permit replaces the previous permit 
issued on March 15, 2010, and which became effective on April 1, 2010, 
and expired on March 31, 2015. The general permit authorizes discharges 
from exploration, development, and production facilities located in and 
discharging to all Federal waters of the eastern portion of the Gulf of 
Mexico seaward of the outer boundary of the territorial seas, and 
covers existing and new source facilities with operations located on 
Federal leases occurring in water depths seaward of 200 meters, 
occurring offshore the coasts of Alabama and Florida. The western 
boundary of the coverage area is demarcated by Mobile and Visoca Knoll 
lease blocks located seaward of the outer boundary of the territorial 
seas from the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama. The permit term will 
be no longer than five years from the effective date of the permit. 
Individual permits will be issued for operating facilities on lease 
blocks traversed by and shoreward of the 200-meter water depth.
    The draft NPDES general permit was publicly noticed from August 18, 
2016 to September 17, 2016. This final permit reflects changes based on 
comments received during the public comments period, which are detailed 
in the Amendment to the Fact Sheet.

DATES: This action is applicable as of January 20, 2018.

ADDRESSES: The final NPDES general permit, Amendment to the Permit fact 
sheet, Finding of No Significant Impact document, Final Essential Fish 
Habitat Determination, Final Ocean Discharge Criteria Evaluation, and 
other relevant documents may be obtained by writing the U.S. EPA-Region 
4, Water Protection Division (WPD), NPDES Section, Sam Nunn Atlanta 
Federal Center, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960, 
Attention: Ms. Bridget Staples. Alternatively, copies of the above-
mentioned documents may be downloaded at: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-epa-region-4-southeast#r4-public-notices.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Bridget Staples, EPA Region 4, 
WPD, NPDES Section, by mail at the Atlanta address given above, by 
telephone at (404) 562-9783 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authorization To Discharge Under the National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System

    In compliance with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as 
amended (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), operators of offshore oil and gas 
facilities in lease blocks located in Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 
Federal water in the eastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico seaward of 
the outer boundary of the territorial seas in water depths seaward of 
200 meters, occurring offshore the coasts of Alabama and Florida and in 
the western boundary of the coverage area demarcated by Mobile and 
Visoca Knoll lease blocks located seaward of the outer boundary of the 
territorial seas from the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, are 
authorized to discharge to receiving waters in accordance with effluent 
limitations, monitoring requirements, and other conditions set forth in 
Parts I, II, III, IV and V, and appendices.
    Operators of facilities within the NPDES general permit coverage 
area must submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to the Regional 
Administrator, prior to discharge, that they intend to be covered by 
the general permit (See Part I.A.4). The effective date of coverage 
will be the postmarked date of the NOI, or if the postmarked date is 
illegible, the effective date of coverage will be two days prior to the 
receipt date of the NOI.
    Administratively continued coverages under the previous NPDES 
general permit will cease for operators 30 days after the effective 
date of the new permit. Therefore, such operators must submit a new NOI 
to be covered under this general permit within 30 days after the 
effective date of this permit. If a permit application for an 
individual permit is filed, the coverage under the previous general 
permit terminates when a final action is taken on the application for 
an individual permit.
    This permit and the authorization to discharge shall expire 
midnight, Eastern Standard Time, five years from the effective date.

    Dated: December 14, 2017.
 Mary Walker,
 Director, Water Protection Division, U.S. EPA, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 2017-27947 Filed 12-26-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


