Gn~oin the i5suance or the permit on the basis, amonq other th~nq~, that 40 CFR 4l5.32 niB applicable to and prohibits the di~chargQ of_ .• pollutants" ~roD •£aciliti•s en9aqed in the 

extract: ion and production ot methane gas .•. " ( Icsfqal £nyiroomental J\~!iitanc• Fc;rnodiltion. Incx v. Le.i,qhEegu•ra, at gl., M.D. Ala., 

No_ 69-H-263-N). 

As you knov, the hqency ha~ advised ~he s~ate ot Alaba~a in 

the pas~ 't.llat 40 CFR P11rt 4J5, Subpart C does net :apply to coal 

b~d met~ane p~oduction facilities. The Agency'~ view is one of 

long ~tandinq. (See EPA's letters of February 23, 19S9 to the 

AlabaMa OQpartment of Environmental Manage~en~ and o£ February a, 1~82 to the Alabama W~tmr I~prov~ment Co~ission, ~opieK of which 

are attached.) EPA has not chanqRd its. view that 40 CFR Pan: 4)5 

doe$ not apply to coal bed me~hane produc~ion fa~ilities. 

~PA'G regula~ions at 40 CFR P~r~ 4JS; Subpart C provide that "th~ra shall be no <lls:cnarge ot: 'lo/aS~Q waeer pollutants into 

navi9able waters rrom any source a~~ociatgd vith production; 
Auc-<25-00 04:12P Ct'-1A.A Bir-mingham, AL ~ 

1 2.05 985 0042 p_Q7 

- 2 -

tiald ~xplo~ation, drilling, Y~ll completion. or well trllll4t-mem•·~ •• • •o CFR .qJS.:Jl. Those r-equlAtions Are technologyh3•ed gui~!nee a~ tho BPT (Be~t ~acticablft control T•chnology curren~lyAvail&ble) lavQl of control- S~ction 304(~)(1) (B) or 

the Clean wa~ar Act ruqQires EPA. in eatabliehinq BPT quid•linG~. 

to conAi~Ar ·~e ectal coct o~ applicatio~ of t~chnology in 

relation to the e!tluent reduction b•n•fit• to he 4cbieved !ro~ 

such appliootion, mnd .•. the. aqe cf the uqqi~en~ and facilities 

invol~ed, the procesa ~loyed, th~ Gngineerinq a•pect• of the 

application ot variou• ~yp6e of control techni~·D• praC86S change~, non-water quAlity ~nviro~ental impact (includinq en~r~ 

r~quir~enta) and aueb o~ber factors a~ the Ad=ini~tratcr ~eams 

appropr btt•- - - - " 

Nothing in thB rulemaking racord, includinq the technic~l. 

economic, and ~vironmental asse~~mont support docu=~nt5, 

suqqe!it~ that tlle Agency con,;idered any ot. th~t! a~pec:ts o! ~ath~ne production ~rom coal beds in developing thQ oil and qas 

ex~raction regulations at 40 CFR Part ~35. The e~ist~nce o! a 

.domestic coal bed •e~h~ne production industry was no~ known ~o 

·the AgeTicy durinq th4 deVQlOplno:nt of tho 1.979 regul.:!tions for oil 

and ga~ extraction. Non~ of the opor•tion~ aasociated with 

exploration, d•l.ineation, Yell ~rilling, or production of methane 

from coal b•d•·wan visited, ~ampled, prcfil~. or otherwise 
Very truly yours, 

~JL q lJ f,_Qf Tho~a~ P. O'Farrell 

Direct: or 

Industrial Technology 

Division 

~c : Fou~i~r J. Gale, III, Esq_ 

Olivia H. J~nkins (ADEM) 

David ~. Ludder, Esq- {LEAF) 
Aug -- 2 s- 00 04: 1l. P Cf"lAA S i rrni ngham, AL 1 205 985 0042 

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

WASHINGTON. D.C. 20460 

Mr. Rodney D. Hames 

Water Improv@ment Commission of the State of A1ab~~ 

Public Health Services Building 

Montgomery, Alabama 36130 

Dear ,.,r_ HamQ!>: 

I received JOur letter dated January 19 1 1982 regarding the applicabi1ity of 40 CFR Part 435 to w~stewater from coal bed degasification facilities. As 

discussed during our earlier ~e1ephone conversation, tha U. S. Environmenta1 

Protection Agency did not consider wAStewater from such operations in the 

development of effluent guidelines for the Oi1 and Gas (~traction Point Source 

Category; therefore, 40 CFR Part 435 is not directly applicable to the coal 

bed aegasification fac11~ties. 

I hope this is responsive to your request. lf you have any questions, plea~~ call me ~t (202} 426-4617. 
.u~~ eMrc.Y ~ 1a Ui.a. CDVlat.x:r ~ t:M t..tildU t::7 •f coU...Cd.D& aDcS 

"ll.J.Ja& tidA ...... ~Upr.ad. A.c l..int. * prl.ea of ... pndvd•d ~ 

~t ~f ~ t.aduau.l.OIJ' o.-. •uc:~Qll'dc kai.&- ~t prt~ t.Dc.....-

ud. d.erapllaUga of ~ .. blrra.l pa ~tty. ~••r. _.bM DGW ~ tha 

c:ol.l.act.1.01l U4 -..1• of tl:aU p.a c accr~~ect.va ~~. '%he «n.W1"f« ~ 

¥ ... r-. .. o~ ~ atat.a earpat:.~~ .1t: u • pn.- l.o<arl• fft thta 4ft~~ 

of th.1a ~~:xy. Due c.a tU un~ 11ACUl:'a of ms.. ~cry. d1e 1&4nl&:D.e. 

of i..tJ.~ lfi'DB8 t>-~t.. 1IIOUl.cl plA~ c. .,....,.q.~bl. krdaa OQ th1• qc.ey. 

n.er.toxe. & ..-.ral p&nd.t -...-.. t4 be the aa11t .U.U~.le T«M&t• to t.K.o 

~~ ~ ~l~t o~ the prl&r-.1 P'$nd.t,. 44 Cl'l. &435 • .30 - 4.)-'.JZ 

.,.n r~ewe4. lll llbgrt• tlleaa .. e~ nqld..re ~ ~~rs• fro. 

"fa.c1Uu.. ~ 1a ~ pro&se~.. fialcl uplor.a.tiAN. lrll.Uq. v.all 

ee-pl.•d.ou. mel v.ll ttaat.-a1: .1u tb. 011 eel ... a:n.ct.iml ~ •• 

In•.atach .. the co..l ~ dega.Uiea~ i:ndutry u a .,... extrectlon tu.rluer:ry. 

tkU of~ rd~ ~o t:ha ~le7pMD.t Doewut fo~ 40 C1"1l 1435 to d.al:lllnd.n& 

vt>e~ ~ p.id•lipe11 ue appl.L:ablA. hca ell• ~ of th1• docUDC~ r: 

(XPA ~40/l-76~ Group II) • tlw tolloe-i.DK ~.lu.dom~ were dartved: 

t 

\ 
Aug-ZS-00 04:11P CMAA e;rm;ngha.m, AL l 205 985 0042 

J~ H. 1982 .,.._.. 2 

1. tb$ ... IIIKJ cU.• DCC •~7 a eo-.1 ~~ da.utfieation aiea clttrbtt 

UUI ~t ct ~ JUida~; 

1. Jlor waa dle teuihi.l1 ~ at ~ .U...cb.alrga fro. ~Nc;:b a !ad..lity 

emu .ida red; 

.3. .U..O. th. epecl.alisad pr~•••._ mad the OC'¢C.G .an4 ~t:ur• at. ~ 

.-~.at..r,.. cgt eopidu~. 

14 Y14W of theM ~iW., th1.• ot!1ca 1• gf tha ap11\ion that 

40 en. 14~ t.. JW)t ~lleabla to t.b. eo&l hoed ctasa-Uic.at:1on UdU..tr1 ad, 

t1w·n.f1DH, the ..x"' cH.Ja~p ~d..at• tm4e:r •o C71 14)5.32 U tWt bi.n41n~ to 

t~ t.ac.Ui.u ... 

In t.l:tU r.prt1 1014 ill a ceo~~ lfith . t:h1..e ~ '• Mo-or~ of ~t: wtth· &:!.£ l'~ tM liPniS ftro~. wa nqu-1: a -.rrit.uc 

•c.a~r or~_. dcnhl vi.z:h ru~~t ~ad: efo~tl.DDa& 

~. It ~h atat..-t i.a -~ ~......l wt.t:W.a 1l ...,.._of tha d...-c.e af thU 

l&~br. th.t.. otli .. rill ._..... ea1corr.noa .tdl our op1ni.Du P4 proe.ed 

ndl p.Oiit ~:wc--.t .. 

.u a.l-,., .. ~ ~ti~ ~ axy Cl4 au ua~taDea th.t you e.a1:l 

p"h •• AaulAl JCN ..._ QJ ~-tiou., p.taa.. eoQt..lU ~ ~~~ u 20~217-3630. 

P.03