Document ID: EPA_FRDOC_0001-12715
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Issuance of Final Air Permits: BHP Billiton Petroleum, Inc., Murphy Exploration and Production Co., and Eni US Operating Co., Inc.
Posted Date: 2012-07-24T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43281-43282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18021]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OCS-EPA-R4008; OCS-EPA-R4009; OCS-EPA-R4007-M1; FRL-9701-2]

Notice of Issuance of Final Air Permits for BHP Billiton 
Petroleum, Inc., Murphy Exploration and Production Co., and Eni US 
Operating Co., Inc.

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of final action.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to announce that on May 11, 2012, EPA issued a 
final Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air permit for Murphy Exploration 
and Production Co. (Murphy), and on May 30, 2012, EPA issued a final 
OCS air permit for BHP Billiton Petroleum, Inc., (BHPB). These permits 
became effective on June 11, 2012, and June 30, 2012, respectively. In 
addition, EPA issued a final OCS air permit modification for Eni US 
Operating Company, Inc. (Eni) on May 8, 2012 that was effective on May 
11, 2012.
    The Murphy permit regulates air pollutant emissions from the 
Diamond Offshore Ocean Confidence drilling vessel and support vessels, 
which Murphy intends to operate within lease block Lloyd Ridge 317 on 
the OCS in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 135 miles southeast of the 
mouth of the Mississippi River and 180 miles south of the nearest 
Florida coast.
    The BHPB permit regulates air pollutant emissions from one of two 
drilling vessels owned by Transocean, either the C.R. Luigs or the 
Development Driller 1, and support vessels, which BHPB intends to 
operate in multiple locations in BHPB's DeSoto Canyon lease blocks on 
the OCS in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 120 miles southeast of the 
mouth of the Mississippi River and 125 miles from the nearest Alabama 
and Florida coast.
    The Eni permit regulates air pollutant emissions from the 
Transocean Pathfinder drilling vessel and support vessels, which Eni 
intends to operate within lease block Lloyd Ridge 411 on the OCS in the 
Gulf of Mexico, approximately 154 miles southeast of the mouth of the 
Mississippi River and 189 miles south of the nearest Florida coast. All 
three operations will last less than two years, and based on applicable 
permitting regulations, are ``temporary sources'' for permitting 
purposes.

ADDRESSES: The final permits, EPA's response to the public comments for 
the Murphy and BHPB permits, and additional supporting information are 
available at http://www.epa.gov/region4/air/permits/index.htm. Copies 
of the final permits and EPA's response to comments are also available 
for review at 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 inspection. The Regional 
Office's official hours of business are Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 
4:30 excluding federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kelly Fortin, 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) 562-9117. 
Ms. Fortin can also be reached via electronic mail at 
fortin.kelly@epa.gov.

[[Page 43282]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 29, 2012, the EPA Region 4 
Office requested public comments on a proposal to issue an OCS air 
permit for Murphy. During the public comment period, which ended on 
March 30, 2012, EPA received comments from Murphy. Also, on April 4, 
2012, the EPA Region 4 Office requested public comments on a proposal 
to issue an OCS air permit for BHPB. During the public comment period, 
which ended on May 7, 2012, EPA received comments from BHPB. EPA 
carefully reviewed each of the comments submitted, and after 
consideration of the expressed view of all interested persons, the 
pertinent federal statutes and regulations, the applications and 
additional material relevant to the applications and contained in the 
administrative record, EPA made a decision in accordance with 40 CFR 
52.21, 40 CFR part 71 (in the case of BHPB) and 40 CFR part 55 to issue 
the final OCS permits.
    On March 23, 2012, EPA Region 4 requested public comments on a 
preliminary determination to grant Eni's request, pursuant to 40 CFR 
55.7, for an exemption for two crane engines from 40 CFR part 60 
subpart IIII (NSPS for Stationary Compression Ignition Internal 
Combustion Engines), which resulted in an OCS air permit minor 
modification for Eni. EPA received no comments during the public 
comment period, which ended on April 23, 2012. EPA determined in 
accordance with 40 CFR 52.21, 40 CFR part 71 and 40 CFR part 55 to 
grant Eni's exemption request and finalize the proposed minor permit 
modification.
    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 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 Murphy permit was 
provided the opportunity to petition the Environmental Appeals Board by 
June 11, 2012, and any person who filed comments on the draft BHPB 
permit was provided the opportunity to petition the Environmental 
Appeals Board by June 30, 2012. No petitions were submitted; therefore 
the Murphy permit became effective on June 11, 2012, and the BHPB 
permit became effective of June 30, 2012. No person filed comments on 
the draft Eni permit modification; therefore the permit became 
effective on May 11, 2012.

    Dated: July 5, 2012.
Douglas Neeley,
Acting Director, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management Division, Region 
4.
[FR Doc. 2012-18021 Filed 7-23-12; 8:45 am]
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