[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3771-3772]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1506]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OCS-EPA-R4006; FRL-9623-1]
Notice of Issuance of Final Outer Continental Shelf Air Permit
for Shell Offshore, Inc.
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of final action.
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SUMMARY: This notice is to announce that on November 30, 2011, EPA
issued a final Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air permit for Shell
Offshore, Inc. (Shell). This permit became effective on December 30,
2011. The permit will regulate air pollutant emissions from one of
three deepwater drilling vessels (the Transocean Deepwater Nautilus,
the Noble Bully I or the Noble Bully II) and support vessels to conduct
exploratory drilling for up to 150 days per year over five to ten years
in multiple locations within Shell's DeSoto Canyon and Lloyd Ridge
lease locations on the OCS in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 160
miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and greater than
200 miles southwest of Panama City, Florida.
ADDRESSES: The final permit, EPA's response to the public comments, and
additional supporting information are available at http://www.epa.gov/region4/air/permits/OCSPermits/ShellOCS.html. Copies of the final
permit and EPA's response to comments are also available for review at
the EPA Regional Office and upon request in writing. EPA requests that
you contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section to schedule your review of the records. The Regional Office's
official hours of business are Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:30
excluding federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori Shepherd, Air Permits Section,
Air Planning Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management Division,
Region 4, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 61 Forsyth Street SW.,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. The telephone number is (404) 562-8435.
Ms. Shepherd can also be reached via electronic mail at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 19, 2011, the EPA Region 4 Office
requested public comments on a proposal to issue an OCS air permit for
Shell. During the public comment period, which ended on September 19,
2011, EPA received comments from Shell and from ConocoPhillips Company
regarding the project. EPA carefully reviewed each of the
[[Page 3772]]
comments submitted and, after consideration of the expressed view of
all interested persons, the pertinent federal statutes and regulations,
and additional material relevant to the application and contained in
the administrative record, EPA made a decision in accordance with title
40 CFR 52.21, 40 CFR part 71 and 40 CFR part 55 to issue a final OCS
permit.
Under 40 CFR 124.19(f)(2), notice of any final Agency action
regarding a prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permit must
be published in the Federal Register. Section 307(b)(1) of the Clean
Air Act (CAA) provides for review of final Agency action that is
locally or regionally applicable in the United States Court of Appeals
for the appropriate circuit. Such a petition for review of final Agency
action must be filed within 60 days from the date of notice of such
action in the Federal Register. For purposes of judicial review under
the CAA, final Agency action occurs when a final PSD permit is issued
or denied by EPA and Agency review procedures are exhausted per 40 CFR
124.19(f)(1). Any person who filed comments on the draft permit was
provided the opportunity to petition the Environmental Appeals Board by
December 30, 2011. No petitions were submitted; therefore the permit
became effective on December 30, 2011.
Dated: January 12, 2012.
Beverly H. Banister,
Director, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-1506 Filed 1-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P