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Kuparuk River, Hilcorp North Slope, LLC - Prudhoe Bay Unit, Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification
PN Reference Number: POA-2023-00343 v1.0
Waterway: Kuparuk River

Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into navigable waters, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1977 (PL95-217), also must apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that the discharge will comply with the CWA, the Alaska Water Quality Standards, and other applicable State laws.
 
Notice is hereby given that a request for a CWA §401 Water Quality Certification of a Department of the Army Permit application, Corps of Engineers’ PN Reference Number indicated above has been received for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOUS), including wetlands, as described below, and shown on the project figures/drawings. The public notice and related project figures/drawings are accessible from the DEC website at https://dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/.

To comment on the project or request for a public hearing with respect to water quality, submit comments electronically via the DEC public notice site at https://water.alaskadec.commentinput.com?id=f54DQCTEA on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant:  
Hilcorp North Slope, LLC, Keri Iles, 3800 CenterPoint Dr #1400, Anchorage, AK 99503; 907-777-8368; keri.iles@hilcorp.com.

Project Name: 
Prudhoe Bay Unit

Location: 
The proposed activity is located within Section 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, T. 11N, R. 13E; Umiat Meridian; in North Slope Borough, Alaska. Project Site (Latitude, Longitude):  70.30781, -149.08667. With potential discharge location(s) as follows (Latitude, Longitude): Scope of Proposed Activities for Pipeline Installation -148.862895, 70.310917; . 

Purpose: 
The purpose of this project is to improve flow from EWE [Eileen West End] Junction to GC2 [Gathering Center 2] through the installation new production and new gas lift line. The new EWE pipelines will reduce existing constraints and improve capacity for the pursuit of economic wells at these pads.

Project Description: 
Hilcorp North Slope, LLC (Hilcorp) proposes to install two (2) new pipelines between Gathering Center 2 (GC2) and Eileen West End (EWE) Junction located in the Western Operating Area of the Prudhoe Bay Unit. The two pipelines as proposed will be approximately 35,000 feet long with one pipeline being 30 inches in diameter and the second pipeline being 14 inches in diameter and would be placed on a combination of new and existing vertical support members and horizontal support members. In addition to the installation of two new pipelines a pad expansion will be required at EWE junction to support pipeline tie-in infrastructure. The project as proposed will cumulatively discharge up to 13,000 cubic yards of clean gravel material from Kuparuk Mine Site C and supplemented with clean reclaimed gravel material from the Kuparuk River and 2,000 cubic yards of a sand/slurry mixture impacting 1.4 acres of palustrine emergent wetland.

Scope of Proposed Activities: 

GC2 to EWE Junction Pipelines:
• Install approximately 35,000 feet of new 30-inch large diameter flowline (LDF) from GC2 to EWE Junction
• Install approximately 35,000 feet of new 14-inch gas lift line from GC2 to EWE Junction
• New lines will be placed on a combination of existing and newly installed vertical support members (VSMs) and horizontal support members (HSMs)
- Supports will be secured in place using a sand-water slurry mixture, resulting in a cumulative impact of 0.25 acres of wetlands for all VSM placement activities, or 2,000 cubic yards of fill. 
• Construct ice road and equipment turnarounds to support the installation of the new EWE lines during winter off-road travel season.
- Ice Road will be approximately 100 feet wide and 35,000 feet long.
- Approximately 30,700,000 gallons of water from permitted sources will be required to construct and maintain the ice roads and turnarounds.

EWE Junction Expansion:
• Expand EWE Junction by 1.1 acres to accommodate new 30-inch pig launcher (EWE 2), 14-inch gas lift receiver, and associated infrastructure.
- Gravel will be sourced from Kuparuk Mine Site C and supplemented with reclaimed clean gravel from the Kuparuk River
• Install new 60-foot by 60-foot access platform and associated supports for new pig launcher and receiver.  
• Relocate existing pig launcher (EWE 1) adjacent to new pig launcher and receiver on access platform.
• Install 500 feet of new 30-inch piping, 500 feet of 14-inch piping and associated supports to tie in to new and existing infrastructure on pad.

Applicant Proposed Mitigation: 
The applicant proposes the following mitigation measures to avoid, minimize, and compensate for impacts to waters of the United States from activities involving discharges of dredged or fill material.

a. Avoidance: Hilcorp avoided additional impacts to aquatic resources by adding to existing infrastructure where practicable and sharing pipe racks with other operators where feasible. The EWE pad expansion will be constructed to the minimum size necessary to support the new infrastructure needed for pipeline tie-in.
b. Minimization: Hilcorp has minimized the gravel footprint of the project to the greatest extent practicable. The placement of gravel will be planned for the winter season to reduce the potential impacts to wildlife included migratory birds and tundra habitat. The use of temporary ice roads will also be employed to reduce the impact to tundra habitat due to the size of the equipment needed for construction operations.
c. Compensatory Mitigation: The applicant proposes no mitigation.

After reviewing the application, the Department may certify there is reasonable assurance the activity, and any discharge that might result, will comply with the CWA, the Alaska Water Quality Standards, and other applicable State laws. The Department also may deny or waive certification.

The permit application and associated documents are available for review. For inquires or to request copies of the documents, contact dec-401cert@alaska.gov, or call 907-269-6285. 

Disability Reasonable Accommodation Notice
The State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodation in order to participate in this public process, please contact ADA Coordinator Megan Kohler at 907-269-4198 or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 prior to the expiration date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided
 

Attachments, History, Details

Attachments

None

Revision History

Created 7/27/2023 2:33:59 PM by jrschlosser
Modified 7/27/2023 2:34:22 PM by jrschlosser

Details

Department: Environmental Conservation
Category: Public Notices
Sub-Category:
Location(s): Statewide
Project/Regulation #: POA-2023-00343 v1.0
 
Publish Date: 7/27/2023
Archive Date: 8/27/2023
 
Events/Deadlines: