EPA seeks public comments on new air quality permits for Shell and ConocoPhillips Arctic oil exploration activities (WA)
(Seattle - July 22, 2011) Today, EPA released
two additional draft air quality permits for Shell Oil Company and
ConocoPhillips Company exploratory oil drilling operations in the
Alaska Arctic Outer Continental Shelf. This process will allow the
public and other key stakeholders to provide important input and
feedback on air permits needed for the drill rigs and supporting
fleets of icebreakers, oil spill response vessels, and supply ships
operations in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas beginning in the 2012
and 2013 drilling seasons.
Shell and ConocoPhillips have proposed
exploration drilling operations that would emit more than 100 tons
of air pollutants a year and therefore, must have federal Clean Air
Act Title V Permits. Both operations would emit less than 250 tons
per year and therefore, do not need Prevention of Significant
Deterioration (PSD) permits. These permits limit air pollution from
the drill rigs and supporting fleet of vessels and will ensure the
operations meet national ambient air quality
standards.
Shell plans to begin exploration drilling with
the vessel Kulluk in the Beaufort Sea beginning in the 2012
drilling season. ConocoPhillips plans to begin exploration drilling
in the Chukchi Sea beginning in 2013.
Under its proposed Title V permit, Shell can
operate only one vessel in the Beaufort Sea in any drilling season
– either the Kulluk or the Discoverer, not both. The
Discoverer and its support fleet are the subject of a separate EPA
draft air quality permit currently undergoing public review and
comment.
The Kulluk drilling rig arrived in
Seattle’s Elliott Bay this week where its emissions reduction
equipment will be retrofitted in order to comply with the draft
Title V permit.
The draft Title V permits are subject to 45-day public comment
periods as well as public hearings before EPA issues final
permits.
EPA will accept public comments on the revised draft permits
through September 6 and at public hearings in Barrow, Alaska on
August 23 and 24, and in Anchorage on August
26. Final permits will be issued after public comments are reviewed
and considered.
Comments must be postmarked or emailed to EPA Region 10 by
September 6, 2011. The draft permits and supporting information as
well as details about the public hearings are available on the web
at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/AIRPAGE.NSF/Permits/ocsap/.
On July 1, EPA also proposed revised draft air quality permits for
Shell to operate the Discoverer drillship for oil and gas
exploration in the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea starting in 2012.
Those permits are available for public comment through August 5.
The public hearing on these permits will be held on August 4 in
Barrow.
EPA air permits ensure compliance with air
quality regulations when and if drilling commences, but on their
own do not authorize drilling. The Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Regulation and Enforcement is the federal agency that
provides authorization to drill in offshore federal waters. Find
out more about BOEMRE at: http://www.boemre.gov/
