Air quality comment deadline extended

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has extended the deadline for public comments on its proposed new regulations for air emissions from offshore oil and gas activities on the U.S. outer continental shelf. Following requests for additional time to provide comments, the agency has extended the deadline from June 6 to June 20.

In 2011 the U.S. Congress transferred jurisdiction for outer continental shelf air quality from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Department of the Interior. Previously Interior had only been responsible for air quality in part of the Gulf of Mexico. BOEM, rather than issuing air quality permits, requires air emissions specifications to be included in exploration and development plans that the agency approves.

BOEM says that its proposed new regulations will cross-reference to EPA’s air quality standards and will modernize and strengthen the requirements for identifying, modeling, measuring and tracking pollutant emissions. The regulations target the emission of volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.

Among its new provisions, BOEM proposes aggregating the analysis of emissions from closely spaced activities and facilities, and evaluating the emissions from facility support vessels during their entire transits, rather than just when the vessels are located within 25 miles of the facility.

- ALAN BAILEY