Hearing requested on Cook Inlet NPDES

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said Dec. 6 that Trustees for Alaska has requested an adjudicatory hearing on the state’s certification of the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general permit for Cook Inlet oil and gas exploration, development and production facilities in state and federal waters.

Trustees requested the hearing on behalf of Cook Inletkeeper, the Native Village of Port Graham, the Native Village of Nanwaleck, the United Cook Inlet Drift Association and the Cook Inlet Fisherman’s Fund.

DEC said that it issued a certification on Oct. 20 under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act of NPDES general permit AKG-31-5000 for Cook Inlet.

The department received a request for an adjudicatory hearing from Trustees for Alaska on Nov. 21. DEC said Trustees request asserts that the state’s certification violates the Clean Water Act in that it fails to ensure compliance with state water quality standards.

Written responses to DEC on the request are due Dec. 20. Copies of the appeal are available on DEC’s website at http://dec.alaska.gov/commish/public_notices.htm.

—Petroleum News