Notice of Draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for the Eastern Portion of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) of the Gulf of Mexico (GEG460000); Availability of Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI) and Environmental Assessment

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The Regional Administrator of EPA Region 4 (the "Region") is today proposing to reissue the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) of the Gulf of Mexico (General Permit No. GMG460000) for discharges in the Offshore Subcategory of the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category (40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 435, subpart A). The existing permit, issued by EPA Region 4 and published at 69 FR 76740 on December 22, 2004, authorizes discharges from exploration, development, and production facilities located in and discharging, to all Federal waters of the eastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico seaward of the outer boundary of the territorial seas. Today's draft NPDES permit covers existing and new source facilities with operations located on Federal leases occurring in water depths seaward of 200 meters, occurring offshore the coasts of Alabama and Florida. The western boundary of the coverage area is demarcated by Mobile and Visoca Knoll lease blocks located seaward of the outer boundary of the territorial seas from the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama. Individual permits will be issued for operating fac