Other Agencies and Organizations, Environmental Protection Agency

 

OTHER AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

Environmental Protection Agency

Outer Continental Shelf Air Permit OCS-EPA-R4012

*** PUBLIC NOTICE ***

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Outer Continental Shelf Air Permit OCS-EPA-R4012

for Statoil Gulf Services, LLC

Public Comment Period: August 9, 2013 – September 9, 2013

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a draft Clean Air Act (CAA) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air permit for Statoil Gulf Services, LLC (Statoil), 2103 CityWest Boulevard, Suite 800, Houston, Texas 77042. Statoil has applied for an OCS air permit pursuant to section 328 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) from EPA Region 4. The proposed air permit will regulate emissions from a proposed exploratory drilling operation within the DeSoto Canyon lease area of the OCS. The proposed project will include mobilization and operation of one of two deep water drilling vessels, the Maersk Developer drill rig or the Transocean Discoverer Americas drill ship, and associated crew and support vessels. Drilling operations may occur for up to180 days per year within Statoil’s DeSoto Canyon lease blocks for a period of five to ten years. The proposed project is for exploratory drilling only and does not include the establishment of any permanent production platforms.

Statoil proposes to conduct exploratory drilling at multiple sites within its DeSoto Canyon lease blocks designated Lease Sale areas 213 and 222. These lease blocks (numbers 143, 187, 188, 230, 231, 625, 669, 670, 671, 715, 716, 759, 760, and 804) are located in OCS waters of the Gulf of Mexico east of longitude 87.5°, approximately 160 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and 200 miles southwest of Panama City, Florida.

EPA Region 4 is the agency responsible for implementing and enforcing CAA requirements for OCS sources in the Gulf of Mexico east of longitude 87.5º. Pursuant to section 328 of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. § 7627, and the air quality regulations applicable to OCS sources set forth in Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 55, this project is required to obtain an OCS air quality permit and is subject to Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements that apply to major sources and also to title V operating permitting requirements. Statoil must apply best available control technology (BACT), among other requirements, for emissions of NOX. The maximum potential annual emissions in tons per year for each drilling vessel and its support vessels are detailed in the application materials and preliminary determination/statement of basis. Potential annual emissions are also summarized in the project fact sheet.

Permit Documents: EPA has prepared a draft permit for public comment, as well as a preliminary determination/statement of basis document that explains the permit conditions. These documents are available on EPA Region 4’s website at: http://www.epa.gov/region4/air/permits/ocspermits/ocspermits.html.

To request a copy of these documents or to be added to our Statoil permit mailing list, please contact: Ms. Rosa Yarbrough, Permit Support Specialist, at [phone] or [e-mail]. For questions on the draft permit, please contact: Ms. Lori Shepherd at [phone] or [e-mail].

EPA’s draft permit and preliminary determination/statement of basis; Statoil’s application and supporting documentation/data; and comments received from the public, other government agencies, and the applicant during the public comment period will 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 at www.regulations.gov (docket # EPA-R04-OAR-2013-0577), which can also be accessed through EPA’s website given above, and at the EPA Region 4 office (please call in advance for available viewing times) at: 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303; phone: [phone]. The web sites can be accessed through free internet services available at local public libraries.

Public Comments: All comments on the draft permit must be received by email at R4OCS [e-mail], submitted electronically via www.regulations.gov (docket # EPA-R04-OAR-2013-0577), or postmarked by September 9, 2013. Comments sent by mail should be addressed to: USEPA Region 4, Air Permits Section APTMD, 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 Attn: Rosa Yarbrough. 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.

Any interested person may submit written comments on the draft permit during the public comment period. If you believe that any conditions in the permit are 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.

Comments should focus on the draft air quality permit. If you have general comments regarding offshore leasing, non-air quality impacts, drilling safety, discharge, or other similar issues not subject to this public comment period, you should submit them during the leasing and approval proceedings of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which is the lead agency for offshore drilling.

All comments will be included in the administrative record without change and will 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 email directly to EPA, your email address will be captured automatically and included as part of the public comment. An email or postal address must be provided with your comments if you wish to receive direct notification of EPA’s final decision regarding the permit and response to comments submitted during the public comment period. All timely comments on the draft permit will be considered in making the final decision. EPA will respond to all significant comments on the proposed permit and may summarize and group similar comments in our response. EPA will not respond to individual commenters directly.

Public Hearing: Public Hearing requests must be in writing and received by EPA by August 30, 2013. Requests should be sent by email to [e-mail] or by mail addressed to: USEPA Region 4, Air Permits Section, 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303. EPA will hold a public hearing if the Agency determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the draft permit. Requests for a public hearing must state the nature of the issues proposed to be raised in the hearing. If a public hearing is held, you may submit oral and/or written comments on the proposed permit at the hearing. You do not need to attend the public hearing to submit written comments. If EPA determines that there is a significant degree of public interest, EPA will hold a public hearing from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. on September 16, 2013, at: Bay County Public Library, Northwest Regional Library System, 898 W 11th Street, Panama City, FL 32412-0625; [phone].

If a public hearing is held, the public comment period will automatically be extended to the close of the public hearing. If no timely request for a public hearing is received, or if EPA determines that there is not a significant degree of public interest, a hearing will not be held. Such an announcement will be emailed to our OCS public notice list and posted on EPA’s website given above, or you may call EPA at the contact number above to determine if the hearing will not be held.

If a public hearing is held, EPA staff will be available prior to the hearing, from 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. to answer questions and provide additional information on this proposed action during an informal public information session. You are not required to attend the information session to comment at the public hearing, and you may also obtain additional information about the project at EPA’s website listed above.

Final Determination: A final decision to issue the permit or to deny the application for the permit shall be made after all 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 EPA has adequate contact information.