NOTICE OF PROPOSED REISSUANCE OF AN
ALASKA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (APDES)
GENERAL PERMIT TO DISCHARGE TO WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES
A Draft Permit, Fact Sheet and associated documents are available for review. For inquiries or to request copies of documents, contact:
Alaska DEC Contact: Gerry Brown
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Water - Wastewater Discharge Authorization Program
555 Cordova Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
(907) 269-4874
Gerry.Brown@alaska.gov
Draft Permit Public Notice Period:
Public Notice Start Date: December 7, 2016
Public Notice Expiration Date: January 20, 2017, 5:00 pm Alaska Daylight Time
Permit Number: AKG320000
Permit Name: Statewide Oil and Gas Pipelines
Proposed Permit Coverage:
The Permit proposes to authorize pollutants from facilities and activities related to oil and gas pipeline construction and operation to discharge to freshwaters of the U.S. located in Alaska or dispose onto lands of the state. During the effective period of the Permit, pollutants from the following discharges and disposals will be permitted to occur:
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Outfall 001 – Drilling Fluids and Drill Cuttings (Discharges Only)
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Outfall 002 – Domestic Wastewater (Discharges Only)
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Outfall 003 – Gravel Pit Dewatering
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Outfall 004 – Excavation Dewatering
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Outfall 005 – Hydrostatic Testing
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Outfall 006 – Storm Water (Discharge Only)
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Outfall 007 – Mobile Spill Response (Discharges Only)
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Outfall 008 – Secondary Containment (Discharges Only)
The Permit proposes to authorize a 500-foot chronic mixing zone for turbidity and residues from inadvertent releases of drilling fluids and drill cuttings, gravel pit dewatering, and excavation dewatering discharges.
Tentative Determination:
DEC has tentatively determined to reissue a discharge permit to the above listed applicant.
Public Comments:
Written comments or requests for a public hearing on the APDES draft permit must be submitted within 44-days of the issuance of this public notice. Please direct written comments and requests to the attention of the permit writer at the address or email shown on page 1. All comments should include the name, address, and telephone number of the commenter and a concise statement of comment on the permit condition(s) and the relevant facts upon which the comment is based. Comments of either support or concern that are directed at specific, cited permit requirements are appreciated. Mailed comments and requests must be postmarked on or before the expiration date of the public notice.
DEC will consider all substantive comments when making the final decision, and will respond to comments received in a Response to Comments document issued when DEC issues a final permit. The Response to Comments will be made available to the public.
Any interested person may submit a written request for a public hearing if no hearing has already been scheduled. A request for a public hearing shall state the nature of the issues to be raised, as well as the requester's name, address and telephone number. DEC will hold a public hearing whenever DEC finds, on the basis of requests, a significant degree of public interest in a draft permit. DEC may also hold a public hearing if a hearing might clarify one or more issues involved in a permit decision or for other good reason in DEC’s discretion.
DEC will transmit the final Permit, Fact Sheet (amended as appropriate), and Response to Comments to anyone who provided comments during the public review period or requested to be notified of DEC final decision.
DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN COMMENTS OR REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING: January 20, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time
Administrative Record:
The APDES Preliminary Draft Permit, Fact Sheet, and associated documents are available for public review at the DEC offices located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Wasilla, and Soldotna. Please contact the office of your choice to arrange for hard copies of the documents to be available for your review.
555 Cordova Street Anchorage, AK 99501 907-269-6285 | 610 University Avenue Fairbanks, AK 99709 907-451-2100 | 410 Willoughby Ave #303 Juneau, AK 99811 907-465-5300 |
43335 Kalifornsky Beach Road Soldotna, AK 99615 907-262-5210 | 1700 E. Bogard Road #B, Suite #103 Wasilla, AK 99654 907-376-1850 |
If you would like further information or to see any additional supporting technical documents, contact the permit writer at the address shown on page 1.
The documents are also accessible from the DEC website at:
http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/wwdp/index.htm
To receive email notifications about the APDES Program, including when permits are available to review, follow the link below to join the APDES email list.
http://dec.alaska.gov/water/npdes/npdes_email_list.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 public process, please contact Natalie Wolfe at (907) 269-0291 or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 within 30-days of publication of this notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.