PUBLIC NOTICE
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Wastewater Discharge Authorization Program/§401 Certification
555 Cordova Street, Anchorage AK 99501-2617
Phone: 907-269-6285 | Email: DEC-401Cert@alaska.gov

Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Public Notice (PN) Date: July 9, 2025                     PN Reference Number: POA-2018-00190-M3 v2.0
PN Expiration Date: August 8, 2025                                                          Waterway: Harrison Bay

Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into waters of the United States, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), must also apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that the discharge will comply with the CWA and the Alaska Water Quality Standards (18 AAC 70). The scope of certification is limited to the water quality-related impacts of the activity subject to the Federal license or permit (40 CFR 121.3, 18 AAC 15.180).

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[1] for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOTUS), 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 a public hearing with respect to water quality, submit comments via (preferred method) DEC website https://dec.alaska.gov/commish/public-notices/ or email to the DEC email address: DEC-401Cert@alaska.gov with the subject line referencing Public Notice Reference Number: POA-2018-00190-M3 v2.0 or on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. (CPAI), Jason Charton, 700 G Street, Anchorage, AK 99501, (907) 263-4682; Jason.T.Charton@conocophillips.com

Project Name: Willow Development Airstrip Improvements

Dates of the proposed activity are planned to begin and end: 12/01/2025 to 05/31/2028

Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 7, T. 9N, R. 1E, Umiat Meridian, in North Slope Borough, Alaska. Sections 12,13T. 9N, R. 1W, Umiat Meridian, in North Slope Borough, Alaska. Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 70.144632, -152.01559.

Purpose: The applicant’s stated purpose is to make operational safety improvements to the design of Willow Airstrip.

Description of Proposed Work: CPAI is requesting a modification to the Willow Development airstrip. CPAI proposes extending the two Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs) by 900 feet on each side. This gravel placement would occur in areas where cable trenching, approach lighting, and maintenance access across the tundra were already planned. It will provide an additional measure of safety in the event of an aircraft overrunning or landing short of the runway. The RESAs will include Medium Intensity Approach Light System (MALSR) lights down the center of the gravel RESAs.

Beyond the RESAs, CPAI proposes two 640-foot-long by 20-foot-wide access paths to the MALSR lights located on either end of the RESAs to further support safety. The RESA and access paths provide a consistent gravel surface to install the MALSR lights and connect power cables to allow for frangible connections. The access paths also improve year-round access for operations and maintenance and reduce the need for trenching power and fiber cables in the tundra. The paths include MALSR lights located on small gravel surfaces and a MALSR shelter, moved from its previously permitted location perpendicular to the end of the airstrip. Relocation of the MALSR shelter improves safety by removing a hazard (a perpendicular gravel embankment) within the Runway Object Free Area (ROFA). Beyond the MALSR shelter, strobe lights will remain on the tundra as previously permitted to minimize the need for additional gravel fill.  620,000 cubic yards of fill area from all the above-described activities will impact 9.1 acres.

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.

1. Avoidance: Placement of the proposed fill is in areas where cable trenching and approach lighting (including towers and junction boxes) is already permitted. The proposed update, therefore, concentrates gravel fill placement in partially developed areas, avoiding impacts to undisturbed tundra areas.
2. Minimization: The size of the Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs) and Medium Intensity Approach Light System (MALSR) access roads is specifically designed to serve their intended purpose without having a broader footprint. Overall, the proposed RESAs and MALSR access roads were reduced from approximately 13 acres to the proposed 9.1 acres, a reduction of approximately 4 acres. Specific minimizations include:
   • Using insulation where practicable, thereby reducing the RESA footprint and gravel fill volume. The emergency-only use of the RESAs provides increased opportunity for use of insulation relative to use in the active runway, allowing reduction in the average height, volume, and acreage of gravel fill while maintaining thermal properties to protect permafrost.
   • Decreasing the surface width of the MALSR access road where practicable, thereby reducing footprint and gravel fill volume. Initial engineering designs included a recommendation for a surface width of approximately 39 feet for the length of the road accommodating the driving surface, road shoulders, and clearance for the MALSR light bar. Through work with engineering and operations, CPAI was able to reduce the surface width to 20 feet in between the MALSR light bars with 13-foot bump-outs at each of the MALSR light poles to provide frangibility and access to the poles for regular maintenance.
   • Removing gravel access roads to the strobe lights beyond the MALSR shelter to reduce gravel fill footprint, thereby eliminating unnecessary gravel fill. Strobe lights located beyond the Runway Object Free Area (ROFA) are not subject to the same guidelines for frangibility as the MALSR lights within the ROFA. As such, CPAI did not include gravel access to approximately 775 feet of strobe lights on each end of the airstrip (1,550 feet total).
   • Removing tundra access ramps proposed in the prior design, which were determined to be unnecessary with the addition of the proposed RESAs.
3. Mitigation: CPAI has designed the RESAs and MALSR access roads to avoid the creation of standing water. Cross drainage culverts will be installed to maintain natural surface drainage to mitigate the risk of sheet flow interruption and thermokarsting. The estimated spacing of culverts is every 1,000 feet. However, during final design, CPAI (or its contractor) will optimize final culvert locations based on field observations, including observation of low areas where culverts are needed. The culverts will be installed per the final design prior to breakup of the first construction season. Exact placement will be adjusted based on a field survey of local, in-field drainage patterns.

After reviewing the application, the Department will evaluate whether the activity will comply with applicable water quality requirements (any limitation, standard, or other requirement under sections 301, 302, 306, and 307 of the CWA, any Federal and state laws or regulations implementing those sections, and any other water quality-related requirement of state law). The Department may certify (or certify with conditions) with reasonable assurance the activity and any discharge that might result will comply with water quality requirements. The Department also may deny or waive certification.

The permit application and associated documents are available for review. To inquire about or 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 Kristin Mabry, kristin.mabry@alaska.gov, 1-907-334-0884; or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 at least 3 days prior to the expiration/closure date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.

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