82_FR_19122 82 FR 19044 - Proposed Issuance of the NPDES General Permit for Discharges From the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category-Stripper Subcategory in Texas (TXG350000)

82 FR 19044 - Proposed Issuance of the NPDES General Permit for Discharges From the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category-Stripper Subcategory in Texas (TXG350000)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 78 (April 25, 2017)

Page Range19044-19044
FR Document2017-08256

EPA Region 6 today proposes a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit regulating discharges from oil and gas wells in the Stripper Subcategory which discharge into waters in Texas.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 78 (Tuesday, April 25, 2017) 
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 25, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 19044]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-08256]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9960-18-Region 6]


Proposed Issuance of the NPDES General Permit for Discharges From 
the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category--Stripper Subcategory 
in Texas (TXG350000)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposal of NPDES General Permit Renewal.

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SUMMARY: EPA Region 6 today proposes a National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES) general permit regulating discharges from 
oil and gas wells in the Stripper Subcategory which discharge into 
waters in Texas.

DATES: Comments must be received by June 9, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Comment: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. 
EPA-R06-OW-2017-0161 to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. EPA 
may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be 
accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the 
official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish 
to make. EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents 
located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or 
other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full 
EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia 
submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please 
visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Evelyn Rosborough, Region 6, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202-
2733. Telephone: (214) 665-7515.
    A complete draft permit and a fact sheet more fully explaining the 
proposal may be obtained online from the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
accessing the Docket listed above or from Ms. Rosborough. In addition, 
the Agency's current administrative record on the proposal is available 
for examination at the Region's Dallas offices during normal working 
hours after providing Ms. Rosborough 24 hours advance notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The current permit authorizes discharges of 
produced water from wells in the Stripper Subcategory located east of 
the 98th meridian whose produced water comes from the Carrizo/Wilcox, 
Reklaw or Bartosh formations in Texas as authorized by the expiring 
permit. EPA is soliciting comments whether to expand the permit 
coverage to include all stripper wells in Texas. The permit proposes to 
authorize discharges of produced water, well field drainage, and 
chemical-free miscellaneous discharges. More stringent requirements are 
proposed to regulate discharges to water quality-impaired waterbodies. 
Proposed changes include (1) removal of authorization for sanitary 
waste, domestic waste, and miscellaneous discharges which are unrelated 
to stripper well operations; (2) removal of authorization of direct 
discharge to coastal waters; (3) revision of the toxicity monitoring 
requirement and removal of the ion-imbalance exemption; (4) the 
addition of electronic filing requirements for Notices of Intent 
(NOIs); and (5) the addition of a ``sufficiently sensitive method'' 
requirement for analysis. Rationales for those changes are described in 
the Fact Sheet. To obtain discharge authorization, operators of such 
facilities must submit a new NOI. To determine whether your facility, 
company, business, organization, etc. is regulated by this action, you 
should carefully examine the applicability criteria in Part I, Section 
A.1 of this permit. If you have questions regarding the applicability 
of this action to a particular entity, consult the person listed in the 
preceding FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

Other Legal Requirements

    State certification under section 401 of the CWA; compliance with 
Endangered Species Act, Historic Preservation Act, Paperwork Reduction 
Act, and Regulatory Flexibility Act requirements are discussed in the 
fact sheet to the proposed permit.

    Dated: March 2, 2017.
William K. Honker,
Director, Water Division, EPA Region 6.
[FR Doc. 2017-08256 Filed 4-24-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

19044 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 78 / Tuesday, April 25, 2017 / Notices compliance with National comments, please visit https:// Other Legal Requirements Environmental Policy Act, Endangered www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa- State certification under section 401 Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery dockets. of the CWA; compliance with Conservation and Management Act, Endangered Species Act, Historic Historic Preservation Act, Paperwork FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Preservation Act, Paperwork Reduction Reduction Act, and Regulatory Evelyn Rosborough, Region 6, U.S. Act, and Regulatory Flexibility Act Flexibility Act requirements are Environmental Protection Agency, 1445 requirements are discussed in the fact discussed in the fact sheet to the Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202–2733. sheet to the proposed permit. proposed permit. Telephone: (214) 665–7515. Dated: March 2, 2017. Dated: March 2, 2017. A complete draft permit and a fact William K. Honker, William K. Honker, sheet more fully explaining the proposal Director, Water Division, EPA Region 6. Director, Water Division, EPA Region 6. may be obtained online from the Federal [FR Doc. 2017–08256 Filed 4–24–17; 8:45 am] [FR Doc. 2017–08255 Filed 4–24–17; 8:45 am] eRulemaking Portal accessing the BILLING CODE 6560–50–P BILLING CODE 6560–50–P Docket listed above or from Ms. Rosborough. In addition, the Agency’s current administrative record on the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION proposal is available for examination at AGENCY AGENCY the Region’s Dallas offices during normal working hours after providing [EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016–0511; FRL–9959–33] [FRL–9960–18–Region 6] Ms. Rosborough 24 hours advance Certain New Chemicals or Significant Proposed Issuance of the NPDES notice. New Uses; Statements of Findings for General Permit for Discharges From December 2016 the Oil and Gas Extraction Point SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Source Category—Stripper current permit authorizes discharges of AGENCY: Environmental Protection Subcategory in Texas (TXG350000) produced water from wells in the Agency (EPA). Stripper Subcategory located east of the ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: Environmental Protection 98th meridian whose produced water Agency (EPA). comes from the Carrizo/Wilcox, Reklaw SUMMARY: Section 5(g) of the Toxic ACTION: Proposal of NPDES General or Bartosh formations in Texas as Substances Control Act (TSCA) requires Permit Renewal. authorized by the expiring permit. EPA EPA to publish in the Federal Register is soliciting comments whether to a statement of its findings after its SUMMARY: EPA Region 6 today proposes expand the permit coverage to include review of TSCA section 5(a) notices a National Pollutant Discharge all stripper wells in Texas. The permit when EPA makes a finding that a new Elimination System (NPDES) general proposes to authorize discharges of chemical substance or significant new permit regulating discharges from oil produced water, well field drainage, and use is not likely to present an and gas wells in the Stripper chemical-free miscellaneous discharges. unreasonable risk of injury to health or Subcategory which discharge into More stringent requirements are the environment. Such statements apply waters in Texas. proposed to regulate discharges to water to premanufacture notices (PMNs), DATES: Comments must be received by microbial commercial activity notices June 9, 2017. quality-impaired waterbodies. Proposed changes include (1) removal of (MCANs), and significant new use ADDRESSES: Comment: Submit your notices (SNUNs) submitted to EPA authorization for sanitary waste, comments, identified by Docket ID No. under TSCA section 5. This document domestic waste, and miscellaneous EPA–R06–OW–2017–0161 to the presents statements of findings made by discharges which are unrelated to Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// EPA on TSCA section 5(a) notices stripper well operations; (2) removal of www.regulations.gov. Follow the online during the period from December 1, instructions for submitting comments. authorization of direct discharge to coastal waters; (3) revision of the 2016 to December 31, 2016. Once submitted, comments cannot be FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For edited or withdrawn. EPA may publish toxicity monitoring requirement and removal of the ion-imbalance technical information contact: Greg any comment received to its public Schweer, Chemical Control Divison docket. Do not submit electronically any exemption; (4) the addition of electronic filing requirements for Notices of Intent (7405M), Office of Pollution Prevention information you consider to be and Toxics, Environmental Protection Confidential Business Information (CBI) (NOIs); and (5) the addition of a ‘‘sufficiently sensitive method’’ Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., or other information whose disclosure is Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone restricted by statute. Multimedia requirement for analysis. Rationales for those changes are described in the Fact number: 202–564–8469; email address: submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be schweer.greg@epa.gov. accompanied by a written comment. Sheet. To obtain discharge For general information contact: The The written comment is considered the authorization, operators of such TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 422 official comment and should include facilities must submit a new NOI. To South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY discussion of all points you wish to determine whether your facility, 14620; telephone number: (202) 554– make. EPA will generally not consider company, business, organization, etc. is asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 1404; email address: TSCA-Hotline@ comments or comment contents located regulated by this action, you should epa.gov. outside of the primary submission (i.e., carefully examine the applicability on the web, cloud, or other file sharing criteria in Part I, Section A.1 of this SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: system). For additional submission permit. If you have questions regarding I. General Information methods, the full EPA public comment the applicability of this action to a policy, information about CBI or particular entity, consult the person A. Does this action apply to me? multimedia submissions, and general listed in the preceding FOR FURTHER This action is directed to the public guidance on making effective INFORMATION CONTACT section. in general. As such, the Agency has not VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:42 Apr 24, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\25APN1.SGM 25APN1


Document Created: 2017-04-25 02:18:22
Document Modified: 2017-04-25 02:18:22
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionProposal of NPDES General Permit Renewal.
DatesComments must be received by June 9, 2017.
ContactMs. Evelyn Rosborough, Region 6, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202- 2733. Telephone: (214) 665-7515.
FR Citation82 FR 19044 
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