Region 10: the Pacific Northwest

Contact Us Search: All EPA Region 10

News

• (January 2012) On January 12, the Environmental Appeals Board upheld the permits and denied review of three petitions challenging the final Outer Continental Shelf/Prevention of Significant Deterioration Clean Air Act permits issued in Sept. 2011 to Shell for oil and gas exploration with the Discoverer drillship in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.
• (December 2011) ConocoPhillips submitted a new Outer Continental Shelf/Title V Clean Air Act permit application with a new ambient air impact analysis.
• (October 2011) Final Outer Continental Shelf/Title V Clean Air Act permit issued to Shell for oil and gas exploration with the Kulluk drill rig in the Beaufort Sea. The Environmental Appeals Board received three petitions for appeal of the permit on November 28, 2011. Decision is pending.

Water Permits

Comment on new draft Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea General Permits through March 30. EPA is seeking public input on two new draft Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea General Permits for waste water discharges from oil and gas exploration activities. The new draft Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea General Permits will replace the Arctic General Permit which expired in 2011. The public comment period for the draft Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea General Permits ends March 30, 2012.

Air Permits

We have recently reviewed the following air permit applications for Arctic oil and gas exploration:

• Shell Discoverer Air Permit - Beaufort Sea
• Shell Discoverer Air Permit - Chukchi Sea
• Shell Kulluk Air Permit - Beaufort Sea
• ConocoPhillips Air Permit - Chukchi Sea

  North Slope Communications Protocol

  EPA is committed to improving our working relationships with the communities of the North Slope. To help meet this commitment, we developed the North Slope Communications Protocol (PDF) (44 pp. 817K) as a guide for EPA programs to foster effective and meaningful communications with North Slope communities. The Protocol was developed with information from North Slope residents and representatives about communities’ unique geography, culture, and environmental issues. It describes sensible processes, practical tools, and helpful background information for EPA staff.

Join our mailing list: Sign up for our Arctic air and water permits mailing list to receive email updates about EPA permit activities in Alaska's Outer Continental Shelf and North Slope areas.

Tribal Consultation
In addition to the public participation process, EPA is required to offer federally-recognized Indian tribes the opportunity to consult with EPA on permitting decisions that could impact their resources. This government-to-government consultation may occur before or during the public participation process.