NOTICE OF REVIEW OF AN
ALASKA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (APDES)
PRELIMINARY DRAFT GENERAL PERMIT
TO DISCHARGE TO WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES
ADEC has prepared APDES preliminary draft general permit AKG283100 - Geotechnical Facilities in State Waters in the Arctic Ocean (Geotech GP). Prior to the formal 30-day public notice period, ADEC invites you to review the preliminary draft general permit, fact sheet, and associated documents. You can access the documents from ADEC’s Wastewater Discharge Authorization Program web page at: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/wwdp/index.htm
Preliminary Draft General Permit Review:
Start Date: September 30, 2013
End Date: October 14, 2013
Permit No.: AKG283100
Proposed Permit Coverage:
The DEC proposes to issue an APDES general permit for discharges associated with geotechnical investigations in the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Ocean consists of the territorial seas in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The Geotech GP will set conditions on the discharge of pollutants from geotechnical facilities operating in the Arctic Ocean. The area of coverage for the Geotech GP will include the territorial seas out to the three nautical mile demarcation of the Federal/State Maritime Boundary beginning at Point Hope in the west and then east to the boundary with Canada. All discharges covered under the Geotech GP would be required to meet Alaska water quality standards (WQS).
In this particular instance, geotechnical investigations are associated with potential oil and gas development requiring placement of structures in offshore areas. The proposed geotechnical investigations include conducting marine sediment borings to:
- Evaluate the engineering behavior of subsurface materials;
- Determine the relevant physical, mechanical and chemical properties of these materials;
- Assess risks posed by site conditions, including seafloor or shallow depth geologic hazards;
- Locate potential archaeological resources and potential hard bottom habitats for avoidance; and
- Assess specific locations to inform the placement of platforms, pipelines, or other infrastructure.
This information will also assist in the design of specialized marine soil trenching equipment that is suited to Arctic conditions and could minimize impacts during construction.
The Geotech GP proposes to authorize the discharge of water-based drilling fluids and drill cuttings, deck drainage, domestic wastewater, graywater, desalination unit wastes, boiler blowdown, fire control system test water, non-contact cooling water, uncontaminated ballast water, bilge water, and excess cement slurry.
For inquiries or to request copies of documents, contact:
ADEC Contact: Chris Foley
907-269-7504
Chris.foley@alask.gov
Administrative Record:
The APDES preliminary draft permit, fact sheet, and associated documents are available for public review at the ADEC offices located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. Please contact the office of your choice to arrange for hard copies of the documents to be available for your review.
555 Cordova Street 610 University Avenue 410 Willoughby Ave #303
Anchorage, AK 99501 Fairbanks, AK 99709 Juneau, AK 99811
907-269-6285 907-451-2100 907-465-5300
If you would like to see any additional supporting technical documents, contact the Chris Foley.
The documents are also accessible from the ADEC website at:
http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/wwdp/index.htm
Disability Reasonable Accommodation Notice
The State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you are a person with a disability who may need a special accommodation in order to participate in this review, please contact Deborah Pock at (907) 269-0291 or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 within 10 days of publication of this notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.