A Draft Permit, Fact Sheet and associated documents are available for review. For inquiries or to request copies of documents, contact:

DEC Contact:
Gerry R. Brown, PE
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Water - Wastewater Discharge Authorization Program
555 Cordova St.
Anchorage, AK 99501
(907)269-4874
Gerry.Brown@alaska.gov

Draft Permit Public Notice Period:
Public Notice Start Date: February 19, 2019
Public Notice Expiration Date: May 22, 2019, 5:00 pm Alaska Daylight Time

Permit Number:      
AKG315200

Permit Name:          
Oil and Gas Exploration, Development, and Production in State Waters in Cook Inlet (Cook Inlet General Permit)

Proposed Permit Coverage:
The Cook Inlet General Permit proposes to authorize certain discharges associated with oil and gas exploration, development, and production into specific areas of Cook Inlet. The Permit will cover state waters in Cook Inlet, including the coastal waters within the baseline north of the southern tip of Kalgin Island and landward of the 3 nautical mile demarcation of the territorial sea. The Permit replaces the expired 2007 general permit AKG315000 for discharges to state waters. Drilling fluids and drill cuttings associated with geotechnical surveys and horizontal directional drilling to support subsea pipeline construction are also covered under the Permit. The Permit would also authorize mixing zones for certain discharges. The Permit and Fact Sheet provide details regarding the pollutants of concern, mixing zones (where applicable), and specific monitoring requirements for each discharge.

Tentative Determination:
DEC has tentatively determined to reissue the Cook Inlet General Permit

Hearings:
DEC will hold three information meetings with hearings immediately following at the following dates, times, and locations:

Public Comments:
Written comments on the APDES draft permit must be submitted prior to the deadline of the 90-day public notice period. 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.

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:
May 22, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time

Administrative Record:
The APDES Draft Permit, Fact Sheet, permit application, 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.

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://dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/

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://list.state.ak.us/mailman/listinfo/DEC-APDES/ 

Disability Reasonable Accommodation Notice:
The State of Alaska, DEC 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 Theresa Zimmerman at (907) 465-6171 or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 within 90 days of publication of this notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.