Notices of Data Availability Published: EPA Seeking Comments
Just released: September 20, 2004 Federal Register Notices
Notice of Data Availability for
Certain Facilities (PDF, 64K, 3 pages)
Notice of Data Availability for
Oil-Filled and Process Equipment (PDF, 57K, 2 pages)
EPA is considering initiatives that would provide more focused
regulation for facilities that handle oil below a certain threshold
amount ("certain facilities") as well as facilities with oil-filled
and process equipment under the Clean Water Act. As part of this
effort, the Agency is making information available to the public
for review and comment as part of its process of considering possible
streamlined approaches that would ensure protection of human health
and the environment from oil spills. The documents present ideas
for new regulatory thresholds and definitions as well as describe
streamlined alternatives that could potentially replace parts of
existing regulations for certain facilities and for facilities with
oil-filled and process equipment. EPA is interested in receiving
comments that can assist the Agency in assessing the merit of these
alternatives. EPA is specifically interested in receiving any evidence,
including data and analyses, related to claims made within the documents.
Please be aware that the Agency is only soliciting comments on the
data provided.
Excerpts of the documents available for comment can be found at:
Certain Facilities: HTML format | PDF format (119K,
42 pages)
Oil-Filled and Process Equipment: HTML format | PDF format (74K,
28 pages)
This information can also be found in the EDOCKET index under Docket No. OPA-2004-0007 ("Notice of Data Availability for Certain Facilities") and Docket No. OPA-2004-0008 ("Notice of Data Availability for Oil-Filled and Process Equipment").
EPA
Finalizes Extensions for Compliance with the Spill Prevention, Control,
and Countermeasures (SPCC) Rule
On June 17, 2004, EPA proposed to extend,
by 12 months, certain upcoming compliance dates (PDF, 115K,
5 pages) for the July 17, 2002 SPCC amendments. EPA has now
finalized an 18-month extension for the dates in 40 CFR 112.3(a)
and (b) for a facility to amend and implement its SPCC Plan to comply
with the requirements amended on July 17, 2002 (or, in the case
of a facility becoming operational after August 16, 2002, prepare
and implement a Plan in a manner that complies with the amended
requirements). EPA has also amended the compliance deadlines in
40 CFR 112.3(c) for mobile facilities. EPA has granted the extension
to, among other reasons, provide sufficient time for the regulated
community to undertake the actions necessary to prepare and update
their plans in light of a recent partial settlement of litigation
involving the July 2002 amendments. The extension is also intended
to alleviate the need for individual extension requests.
This extension follows a previous 18-month
extension announced on April 17, 2003 (PDF, 96K, 5 pages),
and extends deadlines for an additional 18 months from the dates
promulgated at that time. The new compliance dates are February
17, 2006, to amend an existing SPCC Plan, and August 18, 2006, to
implement the Plan. Affected facilities that start operations between
August 16, 2002 and August 18, 2006, must prepare and implement
an SPCC Plan by August 18, 2006. Affected facilities that become
operational after August 18, 2006 must prepare and implement an
SPCC Plan before starting operations. Follow this link to access
the August 11, 2004 Federal Register
notice (PDF, 76K, 6 pages) announcing the final rule
that extends SPCC compliance dates. Follow this link for more
information about the July 17, 2002 rule.
EPA Publishes Notice Clarifying Settlement Issues Pertaining to Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule
On May 25, 2004, EPA published a notice in the Federal Register (PDF, 59K, 3 pages)
that provides information about the partially settled litigation
over the SPCC rule. The notice includes clarifications developed
by the Agency during the course of the settlement proceedings. As mentioned in the notice, EPA's
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) issued a letter
to the Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA) (PDF, 35K, 4 pages) in response
to PMAA's questions about the 40 CFR 112.7(a)(2)'s "equivalent
environmental protection" provision and request for clarification
of the scope of the requirements in 40 CFR 112.7(h) ("Facility
tank car and tank truck loading/unloading rack (excluding offshore
facilities)").
Freshwater Spills Symposium 2004 Agenda and Presentations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Oil Program hosted the
Fifth Biennial Freshwater Spills Symposium (FSS) in New Orleans,
Louisiana on April 6-8, 2004. The FSS offered an opportunity for
local, state, federal and industry responders; natural resource
trustees and managers; facility response planners; and additional
stakeholders to engage in an exchange targeted at the unique problems
of freshwater oil spills. The agenda and
presentations from the FSS 2004 are now available online.
Documents
Available Related to the Bioremediation of Oil-Contaminated Sites
Literature Review on the Use
of Commercial Bioremediation Agents for Cleanup of Oil-Contaminated
Estuarine Environments (PDF, 369k, 61 pages): This document
is a comprehensive review of the use of commercial bioremediation
products in treating oil spills. The scope of this review is mainly
estuarine environments, but it also pertains to marine shorelines,
terrestrial environments, freshwaters, and wetlands. The review
will be useful for oil spill responders (e.g., on-scene coordinators
and response contractors) to better understand the feasibility of
bioremediation technology and as an aid in selecting bioremediation
products.
Guidelines for the Bioremediation
of Oil-Contaminated Salt Marshes (PDF, 484k, 66 pages):
This document contains detailed technical guidelines for using bioremediation
technology for the cleanup of coastal wetlands contaminated with
oil and oil products. A supplement to the previously published "Guidelines
for the Bioremediation of Marine Shorelines and Freshwater Wetlands"
(Zhu et al., 2001), this guidance document includes a thorough review
and critique of the literature and theories pertinent to oil biodegradation
and nutrient dynamics, and provides examples of bioremediation options
and case studies of oil bioremediation in coastal wetland environments.
From the Marshes to Deepwater, Louisiana's Hydrocarbon Infrastructure is at
Risk
| Over the last 100 years, Louisiana has lost over
400,000 hectares to open water. Prior to 1940, the majority
of Louisiana's oil and gas fields were in freshwater. Subsidence,
the rise in sea level, and loss of land have contributed to
all but one oil field now being located in open saltwater. All
of these fields are vulnerable to oil spills, particularly those
directly offshore. The landscape of Louisiana's shoreline is
changing faster than the oil industry's contingency plans. Through
the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the Minerals Management Service
(MSS) monitors the response capabilities of offshore operators.
However, the complexity of the site, including the occurrence
of extreme weather conditions, and lack of current response
contingency plans puts the Gulf Coast potentially at risk for
a major spill event. Response planning and understanding the
marine and freshwater environments are essential for the protection
of the Gulf Coast. For more information read the May
2004 EPA Oil Program Update (PDF, 459K, 8 pages). |
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Oil Program