^®: CRE Regulatory Action of the Week

EPA Issues Oil and Gas NPDES Permits for Beaufort and Chukchi
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System General Permits for Oil and Gas Exploration Facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf and Contiguous State Waters in the Beaufort Sea and on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Chukchi Sea. The Beaufort and Chukchi general permits authorize thirteen types of discharges from facilities engaged in field exploration and exploratory drilling activities under the Offshore Subcategory of the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category, as authorized by the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1342. The Beaufort and Chukchi general permits contain effluent limitations and requirements that ensure the discharges will not cause unreasonable degradation of the marine environment. The issuance date of the Beaufort and Chukchi NPDES general permits is October 29, 2012. The Beaufort and Chukchi general permits shall become effective on November 28, 2012.