Other Agencies and Organizations, Environmental Protection Agency

 

OTHER AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
Environmental Protection Agency

Technical Exemption Under the Outer Continental Shelf Air Regulations

*** PUBLIC NOTICE ***

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Technical Exemption Under the Outer Continental Shelf Air Regulations for Eni US Operating Co., Inc.

Public Comment Period: March 23, 2012 – April 23, 2012

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment on a preliminary determination for Eni US Operating Company Incorporated (Eni), 1201 Louisiana, Suite 3500, Houston, Texas 77002. The preliminary determination proposes to grant an exemption under Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 55.7 for two crane engines on board the Pathfinder drill ship that Eni proposes to operate within lease block, Lloyd Ridge 411, on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. The drill site is located at latitude 27° 35' and longitude 87° 12', or approximately 154 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and 189 miles south of the nearest Florida coast.

The EPA Region 4 is the agency responsible for implementing and enforcing Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for OCS sources in the Gulf of Mexico east of 87'30' (87.5). Pursuant to section 328 of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. § 7627, and the air quality regulations applicable to OCS sources set forth in 40 CFR part 55, an OCS source is required to obtain an air quality permit before beginning construction and an operating permit within 12 months of becoming an OCS source.

Eni’s exploration drilling program is a major source under the applicable Prevention of Significant Deterioration and title V permitting requirements. Eni is applying Best Available Control Technology for carbon monoxide, volatile organic carbon, particulate matter, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microns, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 microns, and greenhouse gas, measured as carbon dioxide equivalents.

An OCS source must comply with any New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) applicable to its source category. See 40 CFR § 55.l3(c). Eni requested an exemption, pursuant to 40 CFR § 55.7, from NSPS 40 CFR part 60 subpart IIII, for two crane engines. The OCS regulations at 40 CFR § 55.7 allow the administrator to exempt a source from a control technology requirement if “the administrator or the delegated agency finds that compliance with the control technology requirement is technically infeasible or will cause an unreasonable threat to health and safety.” Based on a review of the current technology, the EPA has determined that at this time, Eni’s compliance with the control technology requirement of 40 CFR part 60, subpart IIII is technically infeasible with respect to the specified crane engines. Therefore, the EPA proposes to grant Eni’s request for an exemption. Eni will be required to provide emission reductions equivalent to the difference between the required NSPS standard and the replacement engines’ emissions, which are approximately 4 tons per year of nitrogen dioxide and 1 ton per year of particulate matter.

The EPA has prepared a preliminary determination/statement of basis document that explains our decision to grant an exemption. This document is available on the EPA Region 4’s website at: http://www.epa.gov/region4/air/permits/ocspermits/ocspermits.html. To request a copy of this document or to be added to our Eni mailing list, please contact: Ms. Rosa Yarbrough, Permit Support Specialist, [phone], or [e-mail]. For questions on the preliminary determination, please contact: Ms. Eva Land, [phone] or [e-mail].

Send comments on the preliminary determination to: Eva Land, EPA Region 4 APTMD, 61 Forsyth Street S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303, Fax: [phone]; Email: R4OCSpermits@ epa.gov.

Public Comments must be received by email or postmarked by April 23, 2012.

Public Comments: Any interested person may submit written comments on the preliminary determination during the public comment period. If you believe any conclusion is inappropriate, you must raise all reasonably ascertainable issues and submit all reasonably available arguments supporting your position by the end of the comment period. Any documents supporting your comments must be included in full and may not be incorporated by reference unless they are already part of the record for this permit or consist of state or federal statutes or regulations, EPA documents of general applicability, or other generally available reference materials.

All timely comments will be considered in making the final decision, included in the record, and responded to by the EPA. The EPA may group similar comments together in our response and will not respond to individual commenters directly.

All comments on the preliminary determination must be received by email or postmarked by April 23, 2012. An extension of the 30-day comment period may be granted if the request for an extension adequately demonstrates why additional time is required to prepare comments. Comments must be sent or delivered in writing to the address above. All comments will be included in the public docket without change and may be made available to the public, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes Confidential Business Information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Information that you consider Confidential Business Information or otherwise protected should be clearly identified as such and should not be submitted through email. If you send an email directly to the EPA, your email address will be captured automatically and included as part of the public comment. Please note that an email or postal address must be provided with your comments if you wish to receive direct notification of the EPA’s final decision regarding the permit and responses to comments submitted during the public comment period.

Documents: The EPA’s preliminary determination/statement of basis, Eni’s application and supporting documentation, and comments received from the public, other government agencies, and the applicant during the public comment period become part of the administrative record for the permit. All data submitted by the applicant is available as part of the administrative record. The administrative record is available to the public on the EPA’s website at: http://www.epa.gov/region4/air/permits/ocspermits/ocspermits.html.

Free internet access is available at your local public library. The administrative record is also available at the following location (please call in advance for available viewing times):

EPA Region 4 Office

61 Forsyth Street, S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303

Phone: [phone]

Final Determination: A final decision to issue an exemption or to deny the exemption shall be made after all timely comments have been considered. Notice of the final decision shall be sent to each person who has submitted written comments or requested notice of the final permit decision, provided the EPA has adequate contact information.