&EPA May 2017 Proposed Re-Issuance of Underground Injection Control (UIC) Permit at the Grind and Inject (G&I) Facility, Prudhoe Bay Unit: Fact Sheet This cover sheet provides a brief overview of the proposed re-issuance of Permit AK 1I008-B for the continued operation of three (3) existing Class I Non-Hazardous Industrial Waste Injection Wells at the G&I Facility located in Prudhoe Bay, with an option to operate up to four wells. For more information, please see the attached document which contains comprehensive and technical details regarding the proposed permit and the location for finding additional information. What is proposed in the permit? Will a new well be drilled? Why is EPA permitting these wells? What will be injected into these wells? How can I comment and/or request a hearing? The permit allows for the continued use of disposal wells that inject non- hazardous waste at a depth of approximately 6,500 feet. Injection is limited to oil field wastes exempt from hazardous waste determinations and other non- hazardous waste fluids in support of hydrocarbon development on Alaska's North Slope. This permit is a reissuance of a ten year permit that is set to expire in August of 2017. Potentially. Three (3) Class I disposal wells are currently in use at the G&I facility. A fourth well may be drilled, so long as the siting, construction, and operation adhere to the requirements of this permit and the regulations for injection wells (40 CFR §144-146). These disposal wells take the place of alternate waste disposal options such as surface discharge or handling waste off site and has been shown to be a sound disposal option. Waste for injection will include, but not limited to: drilling muds, produced water, production fluids from downhole, storm water, rig water, sanitary and domestic wastewater, as well as other exempt and non-exempt fluids. EPA accepts public comments and requests for public hearings for proposed permit actions during the public comment period, which begins on June 30, 2017 and ends on July 31, 2017. If you would like to make a comment or request a hearing, review the "Public Comment" section at the end of this Fact Sheet or go to www.epa.gov/regionlO. Where can I find If you are seeking more information related to this fact Sheet, please go to more www.epa.gov/regionlO or contact: information? Tim Mayers at 907-271-3410 mavers ,timothv@epa. gov Page 1 of 10 ------- PRUDHOE BAY UNIT GRIND AND INJECT AREA UIC WELLS FACT SHEET Proposed Re-issuance of Underground Injection Control (UIC) Permit AK-1I008-B For the Operation of up to Four Class I Non-Hazardous Industrial Waste Injection Wells At the Prudhoe Bay Unit (PBU) Grind & Inject (G&I) Area, North Slope of Alaska Background BP Alaska Inc (BPXA) has submitted an Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit application for the operation of up to four (4) Class I non-hazardous industrial waste injection (existing, sidetrack or replacement) wells. Three (3) Class I non-hazardous UIC currently operate at the G&I Facility. The injection interval depths of these three existing wells are at approximately 6,500 feet true vertical depth subsea (tvdss) in the onshore Class I PBU-G&I Area. To provide more flexibility, BPXA has requested the number of active wells covered under this permit, be increased to four (4). The approximately 7,680 acre area covers the twelve sections (Umiat Meridian Sections 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 36 of Township 11 North, Range 15 East and Sections 19, 30 and 31 of Township 11 North, Range 16 East) and currently includes the Surfcote and Pingut Pads adjacent to the Grind and Inject (G&I) Facility of the Greater Prudhoe Bay Area (GPBA), Alaska. These three existing wells are currently authorized as Class I UIC wells and Class II disposal injectors that have been in service since 1998. In 2002, a small amount of Class V material was authorized by EPA for G&I disposal on a temporary basis. The Class I wells serve as a needed disposal backup option for Class I fluids and will primarily continue to inject solids from reserve pits, drilling muds and cuttings, produced water, well work-over fluids, treatment fluids and treated sanitary wastewater. The application was submitted on February 21, 2017. EPA previously granted a No Underground Sources of Drinking Water (USDW) Ruling (dated August 18, 2006) for those portions of the aquifers between the base of the permafrost at approximately 1,900 feet tvdss to the top of the CM2 marker at approximately 7,312 feet tvdss, since these aquifers significantly exceed the 10,000 milligrams/liter (mg/1) total dissolved solids (TDS) threshold for a USDW. Regulatory Framework The UIC program is authorized by Part C of the Safe Drinking Water Act for the principal purpose of protecting USDW from impacts by injection through wells. The UIC regulations broadly define USDW (see 40 CFR § 144.3) as any aquifer capable of supplying a public water system with water of less than 10,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) TDS. If injection does not occur above, into, or through a USDW, then less stringent injection well permit conditions may be imposed than would otherwise be required (see 40 CFR § 144.16). As described below, aquifers below the G&I facility do not meet the criteria of USDW under CFR § 146.4. Under these circumstances, the EPA Director of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) may authorize injection with less stringent requirements than would otherwise than be required (see 40 CFR § 146.4). EPA intends to grant several waivers requested by BPXA, which are described later in this fact sheet. Primary responsibility for regulation of injection wells through the UIC program is split in Alaska between EPA and the AOGCC. The AOGCC regulates Class II injection wells, which are defined as those wells used 1) to dispose of waste fluids brought to the surface from oil and gas production Page 2 of 10 ------- operations, 2) for enhanced recovery of oil and gas, or 3) for storage of hydrocarbons which are liquid at standard temperature and pressure (see 40 CFR § 144.6). EPA directly regulates the other four classes of injection wells in the State of Alaska. The UIC regulations allow Class II fluids to be disposed of into Class I or II injection wells. Class I fluids may not be injected into Class II wells. BPXA has requested a Class I non-hazardous industrial waste injection well permit for up to four (including as needed the future sidetrack or replacement) Class I wells and Class II disposal wells. The total number of Class I wells at the PBU-G&I Area would not exceed four active wells at any time. The G&I facility and wells were constructed specifically to grind, process, and inject drilling wastes from existing North Slope development well reserve pits on a large scale basis. Between September 2007 and September 2016, approximately 1.6 million (MM) cubic yards (cy) were processed and injected in the three G&I wells. When combined with injection volumes from the April 1998, approximately 6.3 MM cy of solid material as well as other wastes have been injected in a total of approximately 168 million barrels (MMB) of fluid. The operation has allowed closure of about half of the North Slope drilling reserve pits. Future injection during the next permit period is anticipated to add another approximately 90 MMB between years 2017 and 2026 (approximately 123 MMB through year 2030). The forecast of injection volumes during this period is considered conservative, and includes waste from ongoing drilling, production and well operations, remaining reserve pit material and disposing of waste currently injected at the Prudhoe Bay Unit (PBU) Pad 3 Class I disposal facility. Those portions of the aquifers in the PBU-G&I Area between the base of the permafrost at approximately 1,900 feet tvdss and the top of the CM2 marker at approximately 7,312 feet tvdss (based on the DS 4-01 Type Log as shown on Exhibit 3-1 of the Application) are too saline (over 10,000 mg/L TDS) to serve as aUSDW. Based upon a review of the information provided by BPXA, EPA previously issued a no USDW ruling dated August 18, 2006 that covers those portions of the aquifers below the permafrost to the CM2 marker that include the injection intervals in the proposed Class I wells. Under these circumstances, the Director may authorize injection with less stringent requirements than would otherwise be required (see 40 CFR § 144.16). EPA intends to grant several waivers requested by BPXA, which are described under the Injection Zone Modeling and Transient Well Testing Results section of this Fact Sheet. EPA Permit and General Project Overview The EPA 10-year term permit would allow BPXA to inject non-hazardous waste such as reserve pit fluids, drilling mud and cuttings, cleanup generated wastes, produced oil reservoir brine, production camp waste water, production well work-over fluids, well flushing (seawater), storm water and other wastes (that did not come up from down hole). The permit would allow BPXA to inject non-hazardous waste fluids generated at North Slope Operations through the (the life of the permit or) abandonment and decommissioning of the facility. The proposed G&I Injection Zone extends upward over an interval of approximately 3,000 feet from the Colville/Seabee CM2 marker at the base to the Sagavanirktok SV1 marker at the top with the Ugnu/Prince Creek as the primary injection interval. BPXA operates the G&I plant and Surfcote Pad UIC wells in the Prudhoe Bay Unit (PBU) that has Page 3 of 10 ------- produced oil since 1977. Current production rate from the PBU is approximately 300,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) into the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). The G&I-02A, G&I-03 and G&I-04 wells are located onshore on the Surfcote Pad adjacent to the Pingut Pad within the G&I area described earlier. Well G&I-02 was sidetracked to a new bottom hole location; subsequently named G&I-02A. In 2007, well G&I-04 was drilled to essentially replace well G&I-01 (currently, G&I-01 does not have authorization for Class I injection). The surface locations of the three wells are as follows: Well G&I-02A - Latitude 70.283259 Longitude -148.241338 Sec 26, T11N, R15E, UM Well G&I-03 - Latitude 70.28351 Longitude -148.2390481 Sec 26, T11N, R15E, UM Well G&I-04 - Latitude 70.282966 Longitude -148.24401 Sec 26, T11N, R15E, UM BPXA is not seeking authorization for a Class I hazardous waste injection well permit under this application. Therefore, any listed hazardous wastes would need to be collected, stored, and transported to a RCRA-approved hazardous waste treatment or disposal facility. Those wastes which are hazardous only because of a characteristic (such as ignitability, corrositivity, toxicity, etc.) may be treated to remove that characteristic and then injected as a Class I non-hazardous waste. The only radioactive waste substance which may be injected under the proposed permit is naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) from sludge or pipe scale (a mineral precipitate formed during production). Geologic Setting and Injection The PBU-G&I Area is very compatible for waste disposal via injection wells. Large volumes of fluids including ball mill processed solids have been successfully placed in the Ugnu formation sands for many years. In order to enable the solids placement process, the solids injection takes place at an injection pressure that is above the fracture pressure of the receiving formation. The past 20 years of solids disposal has demonstrated that the wastes are safely contained within the Ugnu/Prince Creek injection interval without any detectable leakage above the confining zone above the top of the injection zone. Injection. Arresting and Confining Zones The PBU-G&I waste injection disposal intervals and overlying and underlying confining zones are composed of sedimentary siliciclastic strata of Cretaceous and Tertiary age. These strata are assigned, from deepest to shallowest, to the Colville/Seabee Shale, Schrader Bluff/West Sak, Ugnu/Prince Creek and Sagavanirktok formations. The proposed G&I Injection Zone extends upward over an interval of 3,000 feet from the Colville/Seabee CM2 marker (at approx. 7,312 feet tvdss in well DS 4-01) to the base and the Sagavanirktok SV1 marker (4,350 feet tvdss in well DS 4-01) at the top and includes the upper Colville/Seabee section, the Schrader Bluff/West Sak, the Ugnu/Prince Creek, and the lowermost Sagavanirktok section. The primary injection zone is the Ugnu/Prince Creek interval. The base of the Injection Zone (at the CM2 marker) is located far below the lowest permeable sands (500 feet) in the Schrader Bluff/West Sak sands to ensure that the deepest potential fractures emanating from G&I injection are contained within the proposed Injection Page 4 of 10 ------- Zone. The Ugnu/Prince Creek sands are flood plain to deltaic deposits which are generally variable in thickness (10-100 feet) and extent. Lateral continuity and connectivity of individual Ugnu sand units is generally good and results from the amalgamation of laterally meandering and cross-cutting sand channels in a high net fluvio-deltaic depositional environment. Thin flood plain mudstones are inter-layered with the sand bodies, but are more variable in log character and thickness than the sand bodies and do not consistently extend between wells that are more than one mile apart. As a result of their more discontinuous character, Ugnu/Prince Creek mudstones are more likely to form regional baffles and not barriers to vertical fluid movement. The Ugnu/Prince Creek sands have good porosity (30-35%) and good permeability (up to 1,000 md) however most Ugnu sands fall in the 100-200 md range. High quality Ugnu-Mc sands 50-70 feet thick near the base of the injection zone (at approx. 6,400 - 6,500 feet tvdss) have received the bulk of the injected fluid and solids volumes in the G&I wells in the past. The Sagavanirktok formation SV1 marker (at approx. 4,350 feet tvdss) defines the top of the Injection Zone. The SV1 interval consists several cleaning upward cycles of marine mudstones grading upward to deltaic and shallow marine shoreface sands. The onset of SV1 shallow marine deposition marks the end of the fluvio-deltaic deposition which is dominant in the underlying Ugnu/Prince Creek section. The SV1 sands and mudstones are very consistent in character, rock properties, and thickness in the G&I area as well as the Milne Point, Northstar, and Kuparuk River Unit areas showing lateral continuity. SV1 sands have good porosities (25-30%) and maximum permeabilities up to 1,000 md however, most sands exhibit permeabilities in the 100-300 md range based on DS-4-01 log model results. Above the Injection Zone, the Arresting Strata consist of marine silty mudstones and interbedded shallow marine and deltaic sands in the SV2 and SV3 intervals of the Sagavanirktok formation. The SV2 and SV3 sands show maximum porosities of 25% and permeabilities of 50-100 md, and are poorer quality (tighter and less permeable) than the underlying SV1 interval. The SV2 and SV3 mudstones range between 120- 150 feet thick (see DS 4-01 log) and serve as very low permeability barriers to vertical fluid movement from the SV1 interval. The upper Confining Zone includes 320 feet of massive to silty marine mudstones in the lower SV4 interval and 110 feet of massive marine mudstone in the lower SV5 section. The SV4 and SV5 mudstones are regionally extensive and consistent in shale content and thickness. A cleaning upward 130 foot thick sand/shale interval lies between the SV4 and SV5 mudstones, however, the presence of the SV4 and SV5 massive marine mudstones above and below the sand body should effectively isolate the sand from any vertical fluid movement from below. Structure The structure maps created in the G&I area on Sagavanirktok SV3 horizon (base of upper Confining Zone at 3,750 feet tvdss in well DS 4-01), SV1 horizon (base of Arresting Strata/top oflnjection Zone at 4,350 feet tvdss in well DS 4-01), and on the Colville CM2 horizon (base oflnjection Zone at 7,312 feet tvdss in well DS 4-01) as shown on Exhibits 3-4, 3-5 and 3-6 of the Application show the eastern PBU regional geologic structure. Structure mapping shows that the eastern PBU Colville through Sagavanirktok Page 5 of 10 ------- stratigraphic section dips monoclinally to the east-northeast at 1 to 2 degrees. There are no fault offsets in the Schrader Bluff/West Sak through the Sagavanirktok formations in the eastern PBU area. Deep seated faults locally offset pre-Middle Colville horizons to the far west but sole out upward in the basal to middle Colville mudstones (below approximately 7,500 feet tvdss). In the eastern PBU area, the absence of penetrative shallow faults in combination with regionally thick and continuous confining shales, result in the G&I Injection Zone being effectively confined and well suited for the disposal and containment of injected waste fluids. The base of the permafrost in the G&I area ranges in depth from 1,820 to nearly 2,000 feet tvdss. Regionally, the permafrost layer thins to the north towards the Arctic coast and eventually pinches out seaward of the coastal barrier islands. The lower Sagavanirktok confining layers are projected to intersect the permafrost base approximately 25 miles southwest of the G&I area. Pore spaces in sedimentary rocks within the permafrost interval are generally plugged with impermeable ice, and as a result, the permafrost layer acts as a regional barrier to direct recharge of surface waters to the Sagavanirktok and Ugnu/Prince Creek aquifers throughout the central North Slope of Alaska. Reservoir Rock Properties Average rock and reservoir properties for the disposal interval have been estimated from wire-line log interpretations, core samples, and reservoir testing at the G&I wells and other PBU disposal wells completed in these intervals. In summary, the Sagavanirktok sands have excellent porosity, permeability, and discrete bedding while the deeper Ugnu sands have good to very good characteristics. The sands in the lower Ugnu and West Sak intervals are somewhat poorer (being fine grained and more compacted due to deeper burial), however their properties are still acceptable for waste injection. Average rock and reservoir properties for the injection interval are summarized in the table below. Ugnu Formation Disposal Interval Average Rock and Reservoir Properties Porosity (Sand Intervals) +/- 30 % Net/gross Ratio (Varies) Net Sand Exposed (assumed baseline) 100 feet Transmissibility (millidarcy-feet) 3,500-7,200 md-ft Permeability (millidarcies) 25-100 md Average Ugnu Reservoir Pressure 3,010 pounds per square inch (psi) (1998) Est. Current Ugnu Reservoir Pressure 3,100 - 3,200 psi (2006) Temp. Gradient below permafrost 1.8 deg F/100 feet of depth Original Ugnu Fracture Gradient +/- 0.65 psi/ft Injection History and Forecast As of September 30, 2016 (since 1998) three (3) G&I wells have been successfully used to inject over 168 MMB, averaging 6 to 10 MMB per year during the past 10 years. The amount of solids injected has totaled 6.3 MM cy. The actual waste injections volumes between the years 2006 and 2016 were fairly close to the projected volumes used in the 2006 modeling. The projected future injection to year 2030 is based on a conservative projection of future field operations including drilling, reserve pit closure Page 6 of 10 ------- activities, and disposal of other waste streams. This projection includes solids from reserve pits, ongoing drilling, ongoing well operations, and production operations. Approximately 1.27MM cy is projected to be injected during the time period between years 2017 and 2030. Injection Zone Modeling and Transient Well Testing Results The 2006 modeling was updated in 2016 using the same, third-party company, Advantek Waste Management Services, using their state-of-the-art simulator. The modeling is based on well G&I-03 due to its long history and larger cumulative injection than the other two G&I wells. With perforations at approximately 6,600 ft TVD in G&I-03, fracturing extends up to approximately 6,270 ft TVD, well within the Injection Zone which has a top at approximately 4,500 ft TVD. This modeling was based on actual injection volumes from 1998 to September 2016, and included a conservative projection of future injection to evaluate fracture growth to date and through year 2030. The results of the fracture modeling study indicate that subsurface slurry injection of the permitted waste material can continue safely until at least the end of the year 2030. Results from Step Rate Tests (SRT) analyzed by conventional and multi-rate pressure transient methods confirm fractures are the primary disposal mechanism. Both the fracture modeling results and well testing results compare favorably and confirm the containment of fractures and injected fluids within the injection zone. Due to corrosion related to oxygen in the injection fluids as well as the erosive nature of solids injection, it is critical to monitor for well integrity issues. Metal loss due to erosion and corrosion of the wells has been documented in all three G&I wells and has warranted tubing replacements. For example, in 2006, the tubing in well G&I-02 was found to have significant erosion and corrosion damage. The well was sidetracked to a new bottom hole location as G&I-02A and the lower portion of G&I-02 was abandoned. New tubing was installed as part of the G&I-02A completion. EPA issued an Authorization to Inject for G&I-2A January 18, 2008. Similarly, the G&I-01 tubing was also found to have erosion and corrosion damage and the well was shut-in in May 2007. New well G&I-04 was completed in late 2007 and began injection following issuance of Authorization to Inject issued by EPA on May 6, 2008. G&I-04 has effectively replaced well G&I-01 for routine injection, utilizing the G&I-01 flow line. G&I-01 could potentially be used for disposal again in the future if the tubing was replaced and authorization to inject is received from EPA. The G&I-03 tubing was replaced in late 2009, also due to erosion and corrosion damage. Following the submission of the well completion report, EPA issued Authorization to Inject to inject in this well on December 23, 2009. Data from monitoring tubing wall thickness and cross-sectional areas from caliper logs has been useful to track the progression of the metal loss. This data is also utilized to estimate tubing/casing mechanical properties (burst, collapse and tension) and to adjust the operational pressure limits as needed. Metal loss observed in surface well components (valve gates, seats and flange gates, tree cross, SSV and master valves) has warranted consistent maintenance to address effects of corrosion and erosion of mechanical parts. Page 7 of 10 ------- Subsurface Aquifers/USDWs/Aquifer Exemption A USDW is defined as an aquifer which is currently serving as a source of potable water or which, by virtue of its potential productivity and natural water quality (i.e., less than 10,000 milligrams per liter of total dissolved solids or TDS), could serve as a public water supply. The Federal regulations at 40 CFR § 144.7, 146.4 and 147 (b) (2) allow an aquifer(s) to be exempted from protection as a USDW provided it meets several criteria. On August 18, 2006, the EPA ruled that there are no USDWs within the 7,680 acre Class I G&I area (Umiat Meridian Sections 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 36 of Township 11 North, Range 15 East and Sections 19, 30, and 31 of Township 11 North, Range 16 East) between the base of the permafrost (at approximately 1,900 feet tvdss) to the base of the proposed Injection Zone (CM2 marker at approximately 7,312 feet tvdss) as referenced in the Type Log DS 4-01. The aquifers are very saline and exhibit total dissolved solids concentrations that significantly exceed the 10,000 mg/1 TDS threshold for a USDW. The Eastern Operating Area of the PBU currently has a Class II "no USDW' determination approved by the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC Area Injection Order #4- effective July 11, 1986) for all aquifers beneath the G&I area. BPXA submitted petro-physical and water sample data to provide support and obtain from EPA a no USDW ruling for aquifers between the base of the permafrost (at approximately 1,900 feet tvdss) to the base of the proposed Injection Zone (CM2 marker at approximately 7,312 feet tvdss) as referenced in the Type Log DS 4-01 within the G&I area. The ruling dated August 18, 2006 applies to the area of current, future sidetrack and future alternate wells. The original injection zone had an average total dissolved solids (TDS) content of 35,000 mg/1 and has received fluids containing 21,000 TDS mg/1 or greater since 1998. The in-situ water has a gas solubility of 7 standard cubic feet of gas per barrel of brine, based on salinity values and gas content from PBU nearby wells. Some methane gas exists in the Sagavanirktok below 3,600 feet tvdss in formation waters. As a result of the no USDW ruling for Class I injection and the existing Class II determination, EPA intends to grant three (3) waivers of UIC regulatory program requirements as listed below: (1) Compatibility of Formation and Injectate (40 CFR § 146.12 (e) [4] [5] and 146.14 (a) [8]: Based upon the applicability of past injectability studies, injection history at the PBU- G&I Area, North Slope of Alaska, and the performance of the G&I wells since 2007, EPA intends to waive the requirement to sample and characterize formation fluids and the rock matrix in order to determine whether or not they are compatible with the approved injectate stream. (2) Injection Zone Fracturing (40 CFR § 146.13 (a) Til: The prohibition against injecting at pressures that would initiate new fractures or propagate existing fractures within the injection zone is waived. Hydraulic fracturing of the injection and arresting zones is allowed so long as fractures are not propagated within the upper confining zone. Injection is limited to approved sections of the SV1 and CM2 marker intervals and external mechanical integrity demonstrations are required to verify that all injected fluids are exiting in the injection interval and that there is no flow behind Page 8 of 10 ------- pipe due to channeling etc. (3) Ambient Monitoring Above the Confining Zone (40 CFR § 146.13 (b)(1) and (4) and 40 CFR § 146.13(d)): The requirement to monitor the strata overlying the confining zone for fluid movement is waived since the aquifers at the G&I area are too naturally saline to qualify as USDWs (meet "No USDW' criteria. Summary of Proposed Action and Permit Conditions EPA has primary enforcement authority in Alaska for Class I injection wells authorized under the UIC program (Part C of the Safe Drinking Water Act). Class I wells are used to inject waste fluids for safe disposal beneath any existing USDWs. EPA proposes to grant a Class I UIC permit to BPXA in accordance with 40 CFR 144.33 for up to four (4) Class I non-hazardous waste injection wells at the PBU-G&I Area, North Slope, Alaska. BPXA is authorized to sidetrack or substitute alternate new wells in the event any of the above three Class I wells fail to function or demonstrate mechanical integrity. However, BPXA shall submit all necessary well and construction/geologic data relating to any new sidetrack or replacement Class I well(s) and give a 30-day written notice with proposed procedures prior to conducting the mechanical integrity test (MIT) on sidetrack or replacement well(s). Again, no Class I well shall inject fluids under this permit prior to successfully demonstrating its mechanical integrity and obtaining an "Authorization to Inject" approval from EPA. The draft permit contains general legal provisions common to EPA permits, specific technical requirements that apply to all Class I injection wells, and particular technical, monitoring and reporting requirements for the proposed injection operations at the PBU-G&I Area facility, North Slope, Alaska. Underground injection of industrial oilfield waste is a disposal option that can replace the surface discharges and above-ground transportation of waste. The conditions in draft permit AK-1I008-B intend to allow injection by this method while protecting USDWs, human health, and the environment. Public Comment Persons wishing to comment or request a Public Hearing on this Class I Non-Hazardous Draft Permit may do so during the public comment period. The public comment period will begin on June 30, 2017 at 9:00 AM, and end on July 31, 2017 at 5:00 PM. A request for a Public Hearing must state the nature of the issues to be raised as well as the requester's name, address and telephone number. All comments and requests for Public Hearings must be in physical or electronic writing and should be submitted to the EPA as described in the Public Comments Section of the attached Public Notice. Please send your comments and requests to the below address by the close of the public comment period. Page 9 of 10 ------- Tim Mayers, UIC Environmental Scientist U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Alaska Operations Office 222 W. 7th Avenue, #19, (Room 537) Anchorage, AK 99513 mavers.timothv@epa.gov After the Public Notice expires and all comments have been considered, the EPA's Regional Director for the Office of Compliance and Enforcement will make a final decision regarding permit issuance. If no substantive comments are received, the tentative conditions in the draft permit will become final, and the permit will become effective upon issuance. If substantive comments are received, the EPA will address the comments and issue the permit. The permit will become effective no less than 30 days after the issuance date, unless an appeal is submitted to the Environmental Appeals Board within 30 days pursuant to 40 CFR§ 124.19. The EPA contact for further information is Tim Mayers at (907) 271-3410 or mavers.timothv@epa.gov Page 10 of 10 ------- |