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Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

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Public Notice has expired: EPA Region 10 Proposes Revised Outer Continental Shelf Permit for Shell Offshore, Inc. in Response to Environmental Appeals Board Remand (PDF) (2 pp, 140 kb)

Deadline to Submit Comments has passed.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to issue a permit to Shell Offshore, Inc. (Shell). The permit would regulate the air emissions associated with Shell’s proposed exploratory oil and gas operations. The permit would authorize Shell to deploy and operate the Kulluk drilling unit and its support vessels in the outer continental shelf (OCS) near-shore waters of the Beaufort Sea at locations and during time periods approved by the U.S. Minerals Management Service. Shell has requested that EPA suspend further permit activity for the drilling rig Frontier Discoverer until further notice. Accordingly, this permit action relates only to the Kulluk and its support vessels.

This proposed permit is a revision to a permit issued to Shell on June 12, 2007. That permit was remanded to EPA by the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) on September 14, 2007. The proposed revised permit and supplemental statement of basis are intended to address the EAB remand order. Based upon further review and analysis, EPA has modified its determination as to what constitutes a single stationary source, revised the ambient air impact analysis and added or modified some permit terms and conditions.

EPA received public comments on this proposed permit action during the public comment period from February 25, 2008 to April 1, 2008. Comments were received in writing, by email and during public testimony on the North Slope in the villages of Barrow, Kaktovik and Nuiqsut at public hearings held March 25, 26 and 27, 2008, respectively.

Proposed Revised OCS Air Permit for Shell Offshore's Kulluk Drilling Unit

• Proposed Revised Permit #R10OCS-AK07-01 (PDF) (26pp, 1.6mb)
• Fact Sheet (PDF) (3pp, 141 kb)
• Supplemental Statement of Basis (PDF) (26pp, 1.5mb)
  • Attachments (PDF) (398 pp, 12mb)

Shell Kulluk Supplemental Application Materials

• Shell Impact Analysis Report with Cover Letter 01/08/08 (PDF) (24pp, 400 kb)
• Shell Email Instructions on the use of the Modeling Files .PIZ file (PDF) (1pp, 43 kb)
• Shell Modeling Files 01/08/08 (.PIZ Must read Instructions to use) (6.6 mb)
• Shell Kulluk Emissions Spreadsheet 01/08/08 (PDF) (9 pp, 133 kb)
• Shell Stack Height Consistency in Impact Analysis Report 01/14/08 (PDF) (2 pp, 59 kb)
• Shell PM10 and SO2 Annual Impacts in Impact Analysis Report 01/16/08 (PDF) (1 pp, 18 kb)
• Shell Description of Thrustmaster HPU Control System 01/17/08 (PDF) (2 pp, 46 kb)
• Shell Response to EPA January 18, 2008 Phone Record 02/06/08 (PDF) (3 pp, 1.6 mb)

Environmental Appeals Board Remand Order (PDF) (71 pp, 760 kb)
Information regarding the administrative appeals process may be obtained on-line at http://epa.gov/eab/ or by contacting the clerk of the EAB at (202) 233-0122.

2008 Public Comments

Commenter	Submittal Date	Submittal
Shell Offshore Inc	April 1, 2008	Shell Comment Letter (PDF) (12pp. 1.9MB)
US Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS)	April 1, 2008	MMS Comment Letter (PDF) (1pp. 31K)
Alaska Oil and Gas Association (AOGA)	April 1, 2008	AOGA Comment Letter (PDF) (2pp. 35K)
Bill MacClarence	March 27, 2008	Comment via Email (PDF) (1pp. 35K)
Oceana	April 1, 2008	Oceana Comment Letter (PDF) (2pp. 108K)
The North Slope Borough (NSB)	March 3, 2008	NSB Comment Letter on Scheduled Hearings (PDF) (2 pp. 257K)
EPA Region 10	March 18, 2008	EPA Reply to NSB March 3, 2008 Comment Letter (PDF) (2 pp. 28K)
The North Slope Borough (NSB)	March 18, 2008	NSB Comment Letter Requesting an Extension of the Comment Period (PDF) (1 pp. 26K)
EPA Region 10	April 1, 2008	EPA Reply to NSB March 18, 2008 Comment Letter (PDF) (2 pp. 28K)
The North Slope Borough (NSB)	April 1, 2008	NSB Comment Letter (PDF) (28 pp. 1.5MB)
Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS)	April 1, 2008	ISAC Comment Letter (PDF) (4 pp. 27K)
Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS)	April 1, 2008	EPA Reply to ICAS Verbal Request to Extend the Public Comment Period (PDF) (2 pp. 28K)
Northern Alaska Environmental Center (NAEC) also representing Native Village of Hope, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pacific Environment, REDOIL, Sierra Club, Center of Biological Diversity, and the Alaska Wilderness League	April 1, 2008	NAEC Comment Letter (PDF) (89 pp. 4MB)
Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC)	April 3, 2008	AEWC Comment Letter (PDF) (2 pp. 66K)
ASRC Energy Services (ASRC)	April 1, 2008	ASRC Comment Letter (PDF) (2 pp. 102K)

2008 Public Informational Meeting and Public Hearings

Materials Presented at the three Public Information Meetings in Barrow on March 25, Kaktovik on March 26, and Nuiqsut on March 27

• Power Point Presentation (PDF) (13 pp. 1.3MB)
• Poster – Beaufort Sea Map (PDF) (1 pp. 326K)
• Fact Sheet – Air Permit (PDF) (2 pp. 24K)
• Poster – Air Permit (PDF) (1 pp. 69K)
• Fact Sheet – Water Quality/NPDES (PDF) (2 pp. 279K)
• Poster – Agency Approvals (PDF) (1 pp. 33K)
• Poster – Public Involvement Timeline (PDF) (1 pp. 84K)

Barrow Public Hearing – March 25, 2008

• Barrow Public Hearing Sign-In Sheet (PDF) (2 pp. 81K)
• Barrow Public Hearing Testimony (PDF) (29 pp. 95K)

Kaktovik Public Hearing – March 26, 2008

• Kaktovik Public Hearing Sign-In Sheet (PDF) (5 pp. 189K)
• Kaktovik Public Hearing Testimony (PDF) (36 pp. 107K)

Nuiqsut Public Hearing – March 27, 2008

• Nuiqsut Public Hearing Sign-In Sheet (PDF) (3 pp. 155K)
• Nuiqsut Public Hearing Testimony (PDF) (88 pp. 192K)

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2007 ORIGINAL PERMIT PROPOSED ACTION

2007 EPA Region 10 OCS Permit #'s R10OCS-AK-07-01 and R10OCS-AK-07-02

Permittee	Project	Issue Date	Effective Date	Permits		Response to Comments
				Final	Redline/Strikeout
Shell Offshore Inc	Kulluk	June 12, 2007	July 16, 2007	Kulluk Final Permit (PDF) (26 pp. 505K) R10OCS-AK-07-01-OCS	Redline/ Strikeout Final Kulluk Permit (PDF) (27 pp. 235K)	Response to Comments (PDF) (96 pp. 597K)
Shell Offshore Inc	Frontier Discoverer	June 12, 2007	July 16, 2007	Frontier Discoverer Final Permit (PDF) (25 pp. 546K) R10OCS-AK-07-02-OCS	Redline/ Strikeout Final Frontier Discoverer Permit (PDF) (26 pp. 234K)

2007 EPA Region 10 Preliminary Decisions for Permit #'s R10OCS-AK-07-01 and R10OCS-AK-07-02

Permit	Project	Closing Date	Public Notice	Statement of Basis	Draft Permit
Shell Offshore Inc	Kulluk	05/12/07	Public Notice (2pp, 21K)	Kulluk Statement of Basis (25pp, 323K)	Kulluk Draft Permit (23pp, 217K)
Shell Offshore Inc	Frontier Discoverer	05/12/07		Frontier Discoverer Statement of Basis (25pp, 340K)	Frontier Discoverer Draft Permit (23pp, 230K)

2006-2007 Shell Application Materials

Permit	Project	03/22/06 Notice of Intent	12/29/06 Application	02/07/07 Supplement	03/26/07 Supplement	03/29/07 Supplement
Shell Offshore Inc	Kulluk	Shell Notice of Intent (PDF) (10pp, 2.6M)	Kulluk Air Permit Application (PDF) (139pp, 3M)	Compliance Plan (PDF) (3pp, 44KB) Kulluk Compliance Equation (PDF) (3pp, 22KB)	Kulluk & Frontier Discoverer Application Addendum (PDF) (53pp, 740K)	Shell Email Request (PDF) (1pp, 176KB)
Shell Offshore Inc	Frontier Discoverer		Frontier Discoverer Air Permit Application (PDF) (122pp, 3.6 M)	Compliance Plan (PDF) (3pp, 44KB) Frontier Discoverer Compliance Equation (PDF) (3pp, 22K)

2007 Public Comments

Commenter	Submittal Date	Submittal
Shell Offshore Inc	April 12, 2007	Shell Source List Update (PDF) (10pp, 125K)
Shell Offshore Inc	April 12, 2007	Kulluk Support Vessels Update (PDF) (2pp, 81K)
Shell Offshore Inc	April 12, 2007	Frontier Discoverer Support Vessels Update (PDF) (4pp, 112K)
Roger Steen, Air Sciences Inc. Richard Seltz, Shell	April 12, 2007	Email (PDF) (2pp, 533K)
The North Slope Borough	April 25, 2007	Request for Permit Hearing and Public Comment Extension (PDF) (3 pp, 139K)
Shell Offshore Inc	April 30, 2007	Extension of Comment Period (PDF) (3 pp. 124K)
EPA Region 10	May 8, 2007	EPA's Response to the North Slope Borough's Request for Permit Hearing and Public Comment Extension (PDF) (3 pp, 27K)
Nuiqsut Public Hearing	May 8, 2007	Carl Brower's Public Comments (PDF) (1 pg. 49K)
Nuiqsut Public Hearing	May 8, 2007	Erica Kunaknana's Public Comments (PDF) (2 pp. 99K)
Nuiqsut Public Hearing	May 8, 2007	George Sielak's Public Comments (PDF) (1 pg. 76K)
US Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service	May 10, 2007	MMS Shell Offshore Inc., Air Quality Permit Comments (PDF) (6 pp. 357K)
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Air Quality Division	May 11, 2007	ADEC Transmittal Email (PDF) (1 pg. 24K) ADEC Shell Offshore Inc., Air Quality Permit Comments (PDF) (3 pp. 20K)
The North Slope Borough	May 11, 2007	NSB Transmittal Email (PDF) (1 pg. 31K) NSB Cover Letter (PDF) (8 pp. 53K) NSB Shell Offshore Inc., Air Quality Permits (PDF) (17 pp. 94K)
The Center for Biological Diversity	May 11, 2007	CBD Transmittal Email (PDF) (1 pg. 25K) CBD Shell Offshore Inc., Air Quality Permits (PDF) (33 pp. 319K)
Northern Alaska Environmental Center	May 12, 2007	NAEC Transmittal Email (PDF) (1 pg. 22K) NAEC Shell Offshore Inc., Air Quality Permits Comments (PDF) (6 pp. 35K)
Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands	May 12, 2007	REDOIL Transmittal Email (PDF) (3 pp. 122K) REDOIL Shell Offshore Inc., Air Quality Permits Comments (PDF) (2 pp. 22K)
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Air Quality Division	May 15, 2007	ADEC Transmittal Email-Amended (PDF) (1 pg. 23K) ADEC Shell Offshore Inc., Air Quality Permit Comments-Amended (PDF) (3 pp. 22L)
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Air Quality Division	May 15, 2007	ADEC Shell Offshore Inc., Air Quality Permit Comments Clarification Email (PDF) (2 pp. 51K)
The North Slope Borough	May 30, 2007	The North Slope Borough's Response to EPA's request for Public Hearing and Permit Comment Extension (PDF) (2 pp. 106K)
EPA Region 10	June 19, 2007	EPA's Response to the North Slope Borough's Request for Permit Hearing and Public Comment Extension (PDF) (2 pp. 101K)

2007 Public Hearing

Title	Date	Submittal
US EPA Region 10, Public Hearing Sign-In Sheet	May 8, 2007	Nuiqsut Public Hearing Sign-In Sheet (PDF) (4 pp. 264K)
US EPA Information Session, Nuiqsut	May 8, 2007	Information Session Power Point Presentation (PDF) (14 pp. 708K) Information Session Discussion Summary (PDF) (20 pp. 117K)
US EPA Public Hearing, Nuiqsut	May 8, 2007	Public Hearing Testimony Summary (PDF) (14 pp. 63K)

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