The LDEQ, Office of Environmental Services, is accepting written comments on a draft for the reissuance of a LPDES General Permit for discharges of hydrostatic test and vessel testing wastewater.
Coverage under this general permit is available to facilities operating a source or conducting an activity that results in a discharge into the waters of the state. Discharges covered under this general permit include hydrostatic test wastewater resulting from the hydrostatic testing of new pipelines, flowlines, piping, vessels, or tanks; or pipelines, flowlines, piping, vessels, or tanks which have been used for the transport, transfer, or storage of natural gas, crude oil, liquid or gaseous petroleum hydrocarbons, or similar substances, and vessel testing wastewater from cleaning or rinsing either the interior or exterior of conduits or vessels that will be hydrostatically tested. This Department may issue general permits for certain categories of facilities or activities where individual permits are not necessary in order to adequately protect the environment or the public health.
To be covered as a permittee under this general permit, a Notice of Intent (NOI) form HST-G must be submitted to this Office by the owner or operator of the site. Notification forms may be obtained by contacting this Office at (225) 219-9371 or (225) 219-5337 (Customer Service) and will be available on the LDEQ web page at:
Unless notified otherwise by the Secretary or her designee, owners or operators eligible for coverage under this general permit will become permittees authorized to discharge upon the receipt of a hand-delivered, correctly completed HST-G to the Office of Environmental Services, Water Permits Division or 48 hours after the postmark date on the envelope that contains the correctly completed NOI. Submission of this NOI is an acknowledgement that the conditions of this general permit are applicable to the proposed discharge, and that the applicant agrees to comply with the conditions of the general permit.
If eligibility conditions of the reissued permit are met, dischargers who are currently permitted under the LPDES version of this permit that expires on January 31, 2013, are not required to submit a new NOI provided there are no facility changes precluding applicability under the new permit, these permitted dischargers will be automatically covered under the reissued LPDES permit; permit conditions in the reissued permit are effective for these automatically authorized permittees three days after the postmark date of the notification of coverage. Any permittees covered by an individual permit may submit an NOI for coverage under this permit and request cancellation of the individual permit if the permitted source or activity is also eligible for coverage under this general permit. Upon approval by this Office, the permittee will be notified of coverage by this general permit and of cancellation of the previous permit(s).
An annual maintenance and surveillance fee will be assessed for this permit.
During the preparation of this permit, it has been determined that the discharges will have no adverse impact on the existing uses of the receiving waterbodies. As with any discharge, however, some change in existing water quality may occur.
Comments and requests for a public hearing or notification of the final decision can be submitted via personal delivery, U.S. mail, email, or fax. Comments and requests for public hearings must be received by 4:30 pm CST, Thursday, September 13, 2012. Delivery may be made to the drop-box at 602 N. 5th St., Baton Rouge, LA 70802. U.S. Mail may be sent to LDEQ, Public Participation Group, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313. Emails may be submitted to DEQ.PUBLICNOTICES@LA.GOV and faxes sent to (225) 219-3309.
Please see additional instructions for comment submission, hand delivery and information regarding electronic submission at http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/Default.aspx?tabid=2256 or call (225) 219-3276. Emails should follow the statewide email policies. For more information regarding statewide email policies, go to http://doa.louisiana.gov/ocs/email/policies.htm.
If LDEQ finds a significant degree of public interest, a public hearing will be held. LDEQ will send notification of the final permit decision to the applicant and to each person who has submitted written comments or a written request for notification of the final decision.
The draft permit, NOI, and fact sheet are available for review at the LDEQ Public Records Center, Room 127, 602 North 5th Street, Baton Rouge, LA. Viewing hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). The available information can also be accessed electronically on the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) on the DEQ public website at www.deq.louisiana.gov.
Inquiries or requests for additional information regarding this permit action should be directed toYvonne Baker, LDEQ, Water Permits Division, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313, phone (225) 219-3191.
Persons wishing to be included on the LDEQ permit public notice mailing list or for other public participation related questions should contact the Public Participation Group in writing at LDEQ, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313, by email at DEQ.PUBLICNOTICES@LA.GOV or contact the LDEQ Customer Service Center at (225) 219-LDEQ (219-5337).
Permit public notices including electronic access to the draft permit and fact sheet can be viewed at the LDEQ permits public notice webpage at www.deq.louisiana.gov/apps/pubNotice/default.asp and general information related to the public participation in permitting activities can be viewed at www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/tabid/2198/Default.aspx.
