View all text of Subpart N [§ 125.130 - § 125.139]

§ 125.134 - As an owner or operator of a new offshore oil and gas extraction facility, what must I do to comply with this subpart?

(a)(1) The owner or operator of a new offshore oil and gas extraction facility must comply with:

(i) Track I in paragraph (b) or Track II in paragraph (c) of this section, if it is a fixed facility; or

(ii) Track I in paragraph (b) of this section, if it is not a fixed facility.

(2) In addition to meeting the requirements in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, the owner or operator of a new offshore oil and gas extraction facility may be required to comply with paragraph (d) of this section.

(b) Track I requirements for new offshore oil and gas extraction facilities. (1)(i) New offshore oil and gas extraction facilities that do not employ sea chests as cooling water intake structures and are fixed facilities must comply with all of the requirements in paragraphs (b)(2) through (8) of this section.

(ii) New offshore oil and gas extraction facilities that employ sea chests as cooling water intake structures and are fixed facilities must comply with the requirements in paragraphs (b)(2), (3), (4), (6), (7), and (8) of this section.

(iii) New offshore oil and gas extraction facilities that are not fixed facilities must comply with the requirements in paragraphs (b)(2), (4), (6), (7), and (8) of this section.

(2) You must design and construct each cooling water intake structure at your facility to a maximum through-screen design intake velocity of 0.5 ft/s;

(3) For cooling water intake structures located in an estuary or tidal river, the total design intake flow over one tidal cycle of ebb and flow must be no greater than one (1) percent of the volume of the water column within the area centered about the opening of the intake with a diameter defined by the distance of one tidal excursion at the mean low water level;

(4) You must select and implement design and construction technologies or operational measures for minimizing impingement mortality of fish and shellfish if the Director determines that:

(i) There are threatened or endangered or otherwise protected federal, state, or tribal species, or critical habitat for these species, within the hydraulic zone of influence of the cooling water intake structure; or

(ii) Based on information submitted by any fishery management agency(ies) or other relevant information, there are migratory and/or sport or commercial species of impingement concern to the Director that pass through the hydraulic zone of influence of the cooling water intake structure; or

(iii) Based on information submitted by any fishery management agency(ies) or other relevant information, that the proposed facility, after meeting the technology-based performance requirements in paragraphs (b)(2) and (5) of this section, would still contribute unacceptable stress to the protected species, critical habitat of those species, or species of concern;

(5) You must select and implement design and construction technologies or operational measures for minimizing entrainment of entrainable life stages of fish and shellfish;

(6) You must submit the applicable application information required in 40 CFR 122.21(r) and § 125.136(b). If you are a fixed facility you must submit the information required in 40 CFR 122.21(r)(2) (except (r)(2)(iv)), (3), and (4) and § 125.136(b) of this subpart as part of your application. If you are a not a fixed facility, you must only submit the information required in 40 CFR 122.21(r)(2)(iv), (r)(3) (except (r)(3)(ii)) and § 125.136(b) as part of your application.

(7) You must implement the monitoring requirements specified in § 125.137; and

(8) You must implement the recordkeeping requirements specified in § 125.138.

(c) Track II requirements for new offshore oil and gas extraction facilities. The owner or operator of a new offshore oil and gas extraction facility that is a fixed facility and chooses to comply under Track II must comply with the following requirements:

(1) You must demonstrate to the Director that the technologies employed will reduce the level of adverse environmental impact from your cooling water intake structures to a comparable level to that which you would achieve were you to implement the applicable requirements of paragraph (b)(2) and, if your facility is a fixed facility without a sea chest, also paragraph (b)(5) of this section. This demonstration must include a showing that the impacts to fish and shellfish, including important forage and predator species, will be comparable to those which would result if you were to implement the requirements of paragraph (b)(2) and, if your facility is a fixed facility without a sea chest, also paragraph (b)(5) of this section. In identifying such species, the Director may consider information provided by any fishery management agency(ies) along with data and information from other sources;

(2) For cooling water intake structures located in an estuary or tidal river, the total design intake flow over one tidal cycle of ebb and flow must be no greater than one (1) percent of the volume of the water column within the area centered about the opening of the intake with a diameter defined by the distance of one tidal excursion at the mean low water level;

(3) You must submit the applicable information required in 40 CFR 122.21(r)(2) (except (r)(2)(iv)), (3) and (4) and § 125.136(c);

(4) You must implement the monitoring requirements specified in § 125.137;

(5) You must implement the record-keeping requirements specified in § 125.138.

(d) You must comply with any more stringent requirements relating to the location, design, construction, and capacity of a cooling water intake structure or monitoring requirements at a new offshore oil and gas extraction facility that the Director deems are reasonably necessary to comply with any provision of federal or state law, including compliance with applicable state water quality standards (including designated uses, criteria, and antidegradation requirements).