Outer Contintental Shelf (OCS) Air Permits
EPA's Region 10 air program is reviewing two Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air permit applications from Shell Gulf of Mexico and Shell Offshore, Inc. for oil and gas exploratory drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, off the North Slope of Alaska. Shell is seeking Clean Air Act OCS/PSD major source permits from EPA for air emissions related to operations of the Frontier Discoverer drillship and its support vessels for a multi-year exploratory oil and gas drilling program. One permit will cover all of Shell’s current lease holdings on the OCS of the Chukchi Sea , and a separate permit will cover all of Shell’s current lease holdings on the OCS of the Beaufort Sea.
Chukchi Sea
A public comment period is open for the proposed permit from August 20, 2009 to October 20, 2009.
Beaufort Sea
EPA received Shell’s initial Beaufort Sea OCS/PSD permit application on May 29, 2009 and a revised application on September 30, 2009. EPA expects to make the draft permit available in early 2010 with a 45-day public comment period.