Final NPDES General Permit for New and Existing Sources and New Dischargers in the Offshore Subcategory of the Oil and Gas Extraction Category for the Western Portion of the Outer Continental Shelf of the Gulf of Mexico (GMG290000), 36316-36317 [2023-11770]
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36316
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 106 / Friday, June 2, 2023 / Notices
of the CAA authorizes any person to
petition the EPA Administrator within
60 days after the expiration of a review
period to object to a state title V
operating permit if EPA has not done so.
Petitions must be based only on
objections raised with reasonable
specificity during the public comment
period, unless the petitioner
demonstrates that it was impracticable
to raise these issues during the comment
period or that the grounds for objection
or other issue arose after the comment
period.
MDE issued the final Cove Point
renewal operating permit (permit no.
24–009–0021) on September 15, 2022.
In their October 28, 2022 petition
(numbered III–2022–14), the Petitioners
sought EPA objection on the basis that
the title V permit failed to include any
testing, monitoring, or reporting
requirements that assured compliance
with certain project-wide particulate
matter limits, and failed to set forth
testing, monitoring, or reporting
requirements sufficient to assure
continuous compliance with certain
unit-specific and project-wide
particulate matter limits. The Order
explains the reasons behind EPA’s
decision to grant the petition for
objection.
Cristina Fernandez,
Director, Air & Radiation Division, Region
III.
[FR Doc. 2023–11739 Filed 6–1–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–R06–OW–2022–0603; FRL–6179.1–
02–R6]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Final NPDES General Permit for New
and Existing Sources and New
Dischargers in the Offshore
Subcategory of the Oil and Gas
Extraction Category for the Western
Portion of the Outer Continental Shelf
of the Gulf of Mexico (GMG290000)
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of final NPDES general
permit issuance.
AGENCY:
The Director of the Water
Division, Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), Region 6 provides in this
notice that the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
General Permit No. GMG290000 for
existing and new sources and new
dischargers in the Offshore Subcategory
of the Oil and Gas Extraction Point
Source Category, located in and
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:34 Jun 01, 2023
Jkt 259001
discharging to the Outer Continental
Shelf offshore of Louisiana and Texas
was reissued on May 11, 2023 with an
effective date of May 11, 2023. The
discharge of produced water to that
portion of the Outer Continental Shelf
from Offshore Subcategory facilities
located in the territorial seas of
Louisiana and Texas is also authorized
by this permit.
DATES: This permit was issued May 11,
2023, is effective on May 11, 2023, and
expires May 10, 2028. This effective
date is necessary to provide dischargers
with the immediate opportunity to
comply with Clean Water Act (CWA)
requirements in light of the expiration
of the 2022 permit on September 30,
2022. In accordance with 40 CFR part
23, this permit shall be considered
issued for the purpose of judicial review
on June 16, 2023. Under section 509(b)
of the CWA, judicial review of this
general permit can be held by filing a
petition for review in the United States
Court of Appeals within 120 days after
the permit is considered issued for
judicial review. Under section 509(b)(2)
of the CWA, the requirements in this
permit may not be challenged later in
civil or criminal proceedings to enforce
these requirements. In addition, this
permit may not be challenged in other
agency proceedings. Deadlines for
submittal of notices of intent are
provided in Part I.A.2 of the permit.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Evelyn Rosborough, Water Division,
Region 6 (6–WDPE), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1201 Elm Street,
Dallas, Texas 75270. Telephone: (214)
665–7515. Email: rosborough.evelyn@
epa.gov.
I. Background
Notice of the proposal of the draft
permit was published in the Federal
Register on July 22, 2022. EPA Region
6 has considered all comments received
and makes several significant changes as
listed below. A copy of the Region’s
responses to comments and the final
permit may be found online from the
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov at Docket ID No
EPA–R06–OW–2022–0603. Significant
changes include:
1. Well, heads, pipelines, jumpers and
associated infrastructures connected to
the facility are considered part of the
host facility even when the
infrastructure crosses lease block
boundaries.
2. NOI requirements allow for all
vessels, to be able to file one valid NOI
when performing jobs in the same lease
PO 00000
Frm 00045
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
block, if jobs are performed for the same
designated operator.
3. Operators who filed under the
previous permit have an additional 30
days to submit eNOI, if the system is
unavailable during the 60 day renewal
period. These operators are covered
under the reissued permit for up to 90
days.
4. Only new operators, not covered
under the previous permit, can submit
temporary NOIs when system is
unavailable. Due date and coverage for
temporary NOI extended 14 days, after
the system becomes available, if the
system remains unavailable after 14
days.
5. Removed continuous monitoring
language from cooling water intake
requirements.
6. Removed the additional
requirements for a signed agreement for
transfers.
7. Flow rate monitoring for Well
Treatment Fluids, Completion Fluids,
and Workover Fluids.
8. Characteristic Assessment
requirements for Well Treatment Fluids,
Completion Fluids, and Workover
Fluids have been removed.
9. For Sanitary Waste, all limits must
be complied with in the event the
Marine Sanitation Device is not
properly operating or not operating.
10. Cooling water intake structure
operation for New Fixed Facilities that
Employ Sea Chests as Intake Structures
and New Fixed Facilities that do not
employ sea chests as intake structures
require development, and
implementation of operation and
maintenance plans, with reporting
requirements for numeric exceedances.
11. All facilities are subject to
monitoring requirements if they
discharged during said monitoring
period, regardless of whether the
discharge lasted the full period.
12. Methods and/or calculations for
estimated flow must be documented.
13. Sample type for oil and grease is
grab or composite.
14. The use of other disinfection
technologies, including, but not limited
to, bio membrane filtration and ultraviolet light are allowed as substitutes for
systems that use chlorine, provided that
the MSD is approved by the U.S. Coast
Guard and results in equivalent or
improved disinfection of the Sanitary
Waste stream to that considered in the
ELG. TRC monitoring is not required for
alternative MSDs that do not use
chlorine, when the system is not
properly operating or not operating,
unless a chlorine based product is used
as a backup disinfectant.
15. Operators must flush and capture
the materials contained in pipelines,
E:\FR\FM\02JNN1.SGM
02JNN1
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 106 / Friday, June 2, 2023 / Notices
umbilicals, and other equipment prior
to disconnection. No releases or
discharges of fluid from pipelines,
umbilicals, and/or other equipment that
have not been fully flushed prior to
being disconnected or cut from the
facility are authorized under this
NPDES permit.
16. Calculation for WET critical
dilutions and testing frequencies is
based on calendar year.
17. Waiver for the minimum number
of samples to be collected for WET tests,
should the effluent cease discharging for
produced water.
18. For Treatment, Completion, and
Workover discharges, acute WET results
can be derived from chronic WET test.
19. Compliance schedule for WET
acute limits related to Treatment,
Completion, and Workover discharges
and sample holding time of 72 hours.
20. No approved Alternative Test
Procedure (ATP) for WET, however they
can be requested at any time following
40 CFR 136.5.
21. 72 hour hold time for WET
samples for Chemically Treated
Miscellaneous Discharges.
22. For Chemically Treated
Miscellaneous Discharges, noncontinuous discharges are discharges
that occur less than or equal to once per
week and last less than 24 hours. These
discharges shall be monitored once per
discharge.
23. State general permit or state
individual permit may be required in
addition to authorization under this
permit.
24. Defines decommissioning and
Subsea Cleaning Fluids.
25. 7-day chronic toxicity
requirements for Well Treatment Fluids,
Completion Fluids, and Workover
Fluids has been moved from limitations
to monitoring section, to provide clarity
that chronic is monitoring only.
26. Free oil language has been
updated to reference DMRs and twentyfour hour reporting requirements.
27. Part I.C. reflects Other Limitations,
Prohibitions and Discharges not
Authorized. Moved Limitations on
Coverage section in Part I.A.1 to Part I.C
for Prohibitions and Discharges Not
Authorized.
28. Permit does not authorize
radioactive materials that are under the
jurisdiction of the NRC.
29. Miscellaneous Discharges of Water
Which Have Been Chemically Treated
includes discharges from well
operations other than those covered by
other sections of Part I.B of the permit.
30. Corrections to the Permit
Summary Table. Table is for reference
only.
31. Corrected data for Discharge
Monitoring Reports (DMRs) and Other
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:34 Jun 01, 2023
Jkt 259001
Reports must be submitted as soon as
the error has been identified but no later
than the following quarter. Submittal of
corrected data does not excuse any
permit violation.
32. If Offshore 24-Hour Reporting
Application Portal is not available, an
email shall be sent within 24 hours of
occurrence of specified violations and
electronic report shall be submitted
within 14 days of the system becoming
available.
33. A facility map that delineates
authorized discharge locations and type
must be submitted, as an attachment,
when filing the eNOI.
34. Language has been updated to
specify that new operators are not
eligible for coverage and existing
operators may not submit new NOI’s
during the administraive continued
period.
35. Updated language to provide
clarity that timely updates to ‘‘CDX’’ are
required, in lieu of ‘‘eNOI.’’
36. Numeric exceedances of
maximum through-screen design intake
velocity and dates must also be
included on DMRs, for all new facilities
required to comply with intake structure
monitoring requirements.
37. Definition of Mobile Offshore
Drilling Unit (MODU) has been removed
from the permit because it does not exist
in the Code of Federal Regulations. Part
I.A.2 has been updated to provide
examples of MODUs.
38. Civil and administrative penalty
amounts have been updated to reflect
updated statutory amounts.
39. Once a month temperature
monitoring for produced water.
II. Other Legal Requirements
Other statutory and regulatory
requirements are discussed in the fact
sheet that include: Oil Spill
Requirement; Ocean Discharge Criteria
Evaluation; Marine Protection,
Research, and Sanctuaries Act; National
Environmental Policy Act; MagnusonStevens Fisheries Conservation and
Management Act; Endangered Species
Act; State Water Quality Standards and
State Certification; Coastal Zone
Management Act; and Paperwork
Reduction Act.
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR
51735, October 4, 1993), this action is a
‘‘significant regulatory action.’’
Accordingly, EPA submitted this action
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review under Executive
Orders 12866 and 13563 (76 FR 3821,
January 21, 2011) and any changes made
in response to OMB recommendations
PO 00000
Frm 00046
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
36317
have been documented in the docket for
this action.
Charles W. Maguire,
Director, Water Division, EPA Region 6.
[FR Doc. 2023–11770 Filed 6–1–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, HHS.
ACTION: Notice
AGENCY:
This notice announces the
intention of the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request
that the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approve the proposed
information collection project ‘‘AHRQ
Research Reporting System (ARRS).’’
This proposed information collection
was previously published in the Federal
Register on March 29th, 2023 and
allowed 60 days for public comment.
AHRQ received no substantive
comments from members of the public.
The purpose of this notice is to allow an
additional 30 days for public comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by July 3, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting
‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open
for Public Comments’’ or by using the
search function.
Copies of the proposed collection
plans, data collection instruments, and
specific details on the estimated burden
can be obtained from the AHRQ Reports
Clearance Officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports
Clearance Officer, (301) 427–1477, or by
email at doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Proposed Project
AHRQ Research Reporting System
(ARRS)
AHRQ has developed a systematic
method for its grantees to report project
progress and important preliminary
findings for grants funded by the
E:\FR\FM\02JNN1.SGM
02JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 106 (Friday, June 2, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36316-36317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11770]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-R06-OW-2022-0603; FRL-6179.1-02-R6]
Final NPDES General Permit for New and Existing Sources and New
Dischargers in the Offshore Subcategory of the Oil and Gas Extraction
Category for the Western Portion of the Outer Continental Shelf of the
Gulf of Mexico (GMG290000)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of final NPDES general permit issuance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Director of the Water Division, Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), Region 6 provides in this notice that the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit No.
GMG290000 for existing and new sources and new dischargers in the
Offshore Subcategory of the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source
Category, located in and discharging to the Outer Continental Shelf
offshore of Louisiana and Texas was reissued on May 11, 2023 with an
effective date of May 11, 2023. The discharge of produced water to that
portion of the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Subcategory
facilities located in the territorial seas of Louisiana and Texas is
also authorized by this permit.
DATES: This permit was issued May 11, 2023, is effective on May 11,
2023, and expires May 10, 2028. This effective date is necessary to
provide dischargers with the immediate opportunity to comply with Clean
Water Act (CWA) requirements in light of the expiration of the 2022
permit on September 30, 2022. In accordance with 40 CFR part 23, this
permit shall be considered issued for the purpose of judicial review on
June 16, 2023. Under section 509(b) of the CWA, judicial review of this
general permit can be held by filing a petition for review in the
United States Court of Appeals within 120 days after the permit is
considered issued for judicial review. Under section 509(b)(2) of the
CWA, the requirements in this permit may not be challenged later in
civil or criminal proceedings to enforce these requirements. In
addition, this permit may not be challenged in other agency
proceedings. Deadlines for submittal of notices of intent are provided
in Part I.A.2 of the permit.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Evelyn Rosborough, Water Division,
Region 6 (6-WDPE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1201 Elm
Street, Dallas, Texas 75270. Telephone: (214) 665-7515. Email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Notice of the proposal of the draft permit was published in the
Federal Register on July 22, 2022. EPA Region 6 has considered all
comments received and makes several significant changes as listed
below. A copy of the Region's responses to comments and the final
permit may be found online from the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov at Docket ID No EPA-R06-OW-2022-0603. Significant
changes include:
1. Well, heads, pipelines, jumpers and associated infrastructures
connected to the facility are considered part of the host facility even
when the infrastructure crosses lease block boundaries.
2. NOI requirements allow for all vessels, to be able to file one
valid NOI when performing jobs in the same lease block, if jobs are
performed for the same designated operator.
3. Operators who filed under the previous permit have an additional
30 days to submit eNOI, if the system is unavailable during the 60 day
renewal period. These operators are covered under the reissued permit
for up to 90 days.
4. Only new operators, not covered under the previous permit, can
submit temporary NOIs when system is unavailable. Due date and coverage
for temporary NOI extended 14 days, after the system becomes available,
if the system remains unavailable after 14 days.
5. Removed continuous monitoring language from cooling water intake
requirements.
6. Removed the additional requirements for a signed agreement for
transfers.
7. Flow rate monitoring for Well Treatment Fluids, Completion
Fluids, and Workover Fluids.
8. Characteristic Assessment requirements for Well Treatment
Fluids, Completion Fluids, and Workover Fluids have been removed.
9. For Sanitary Waste, all limits must be complied with in the
event the Marine Sanitation Device is not properly operating or not
operating.
10. Cooling water intake structure operation for New Fixed
Facilities that Employ Sea Chests as Intake Structures and New Fixed
Facilities that do not employ sea chests as intake structures require
development, and implementation of operation and maintenance plans,
with reporting requirements for numeric exceedances.
11. All facilities are subject to monitoring requirements if they
discharged during said monitoring period, regardless of whether the
discharge lasted the full period.
12. Methods and/or calculations for estimated flow must be
documented.
13. Sample type for oil and grease is grab or composite.
14. The use of other disinfection technologies, including, but not
limited to, bio membrane filtration and ultra-violet light are allowed
as substitutes for systems that use chlorine, provided that the MSD is
approved by the U.S. Coast Guard and results in equivalent or improved
disinfection of the Sanitary Waste stream to that considered in the
ELG. TRC monitoring is not required for alternative MSDs that do not
use chlorine, when the system is not properly operating or not
operating, unless a chlorine based product is used as a backup
disinfectant.
15. Operators must flush and capture the materials contained in
pipelines,
[[Page 36317]]
umbilicals, and other equipment prior to disconnection. No releases or
discharges of fluid from pipelines, umbilicals, and/or other equipment
that have not been fully flushed prior to being disconnected or cut
from the facility are authorized under this NPDES permit.
16. Calculation for WET critical dilutions and testing frequencies
is based on calendar year.
17. Waiver for the minimum number of samples to be collected for
WET tests, should the effluent cease discharging for produced water.
18. For Treatment, Completion, and Workover discharges, acute WET
results can be derived from chronic WET test.
19. Compliance schedule for WET acute limits related to Treatment,
Completion, and Workover discharges and sample holding time of 72
hours.
20. No approved Alternative Test Procedure (ATP) for WET, however
they can be requested at any time following 40 CFR 136.5.
21. 72 hour hold time for WET samples for Chemically Treated
Miscellaneous Discharges.
22. For Chemically Treated Miscellaneous Discharges, non-continuous
discharges are discharges that occur less than or equal to once per
week and last less than 24 hours. These discharges shall be monitored
once per discharge.
23. State general permit or state individual permit may be required
in addition to authorization under this permit.
24. Defines decommissioning and Subsea Cleaning Fluids.
25. 7-day chronic toxicity requirements for Well Treatment Fluids,
Completion Fluids, and Workover Fluids has been moved from limitations
to monitoring section, to provide clarity that chronic is monitoring
only.
26. Free oil language has been updated to reference DMRs and
twenty-four hour reporting requirements.
27. Part I.C. reflects Other Limitations, Prohibitions and
Discharges not Authorized. Moved Limitations on Coverage section in
Part I.A.1 to Part I.C for Prohibitions and Discharges Not Authorized.
28. Permit does not authorize radioactive materials that are under
the jurisdiction of the NRC.
29. Miscellaneous Discharges of Water Which Have Been Chemically
Treated includes discharges from well operations other than those
covered by other sections of Part I.B of the permit.
30. Corrections to the Permit Summary Table. Table is for reference
only.
31. Corrected data for Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) and
Other Reports must be submitted as soon as the error has been
identified but no later than the following quarter. Submittal of
corrected data does not excuse any permit violation.
32. If Offshore 24-Hour Reporting Application Portal is not
available, an email shall be sent within 24 hours of occurrence of
specified violations and electronic report shall be submitted within 14
days of the system becoming available.
33. A facility map that delineates authorized discharge locations
and type must be submitted, as an attachment, when filing the eNOI.
34. Language has been updated to specify that new operators are not
eligible for coverage and existing operators may not submit new NOI's
during the administraive continued period.
35. Updated language to provide clarity that timely updates to
``CDX'' are required, in lieu of ``eNOI.''
36. Numeric exceedances of maximum through-screen design intake
velocity and dates must also be included on DMRs, for all new
facilities required to comply with intake structure monitoring
requirements.
37. Definition of Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) has been
removed from the permit because it does not exist in the Code of
Federal Regulations. Part I.A.2 has been updated to provide examples of
MODUs.
38. Civil and administrative penalty amounts have been updated to
reflect updated statutory amounts.
39. Once a month temperature monitoring for produced water.
II. Other Legal Requirements
Other statutory and regulatory requirements are discussed in the
fact sheet that include: Oil Spill Requirement; Ocean Discharge
Criteria Evaluation; Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act;
National Environmental Policy Act; Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries
Conservation and Management Act; Endangered Species Act; State Water
Quality Standards and State Certification; Coastal Zone Management Act;
and Paperwork Reduction Act.
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this
action is a ``significant regulatory action.'' Accordingly, EPA
submitted this action to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review under Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21,
2011) and any changes made in response to OMB recommendations have been
documented in the docket for this action.
Charles W. Maguire,
Director, Water Division, EPA Region 6.
[FR Doc. 2023-11770 Filed 6-1-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
