EPA reissues Cook Inlet oil and gas discharge permit

Issues on the record, awaiting the decision

• PendingThe notice says all substantive legal compliance analysis -- including Endangered Species Act, Essential Fish Habitat, and other requirements -- is deferred entirely to the Fact Sheet, which is not re

  The notice says all substantive legal compliance analysis -- including Endangered Species Act, Essential Fish Habitat, and other requirements -- is deferred entirely to the Fact Sheet, which is not reproduced in the Federal Register notice. The public cannot evaluate what the ESA consultation found, what EFH determinations were made, or whether the limits are adequate without locating a separate document on an external website. Under NEPA and CWA public-notice requirements, the notice itself should summarize those key findings. The agency should either reproduce the core conclusions of each legal review in the notice or extend the comment period to ensure the public has adequate time to locate and digest all supporting documents.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text

• PendingThe notice states this action 'is not a significant regulatory action' and was therefore not submitted to OMB for review, but it provides no reasoning or factual basis for that determination.

  The notice states this action 'is not a significant regulatory action' and was therefore not submitted to OMB for review, but it provides no reasoning or factual basis for that determination. A general permit authorizing pollutant discharges into federal waters of Cook Inlet -- a fishery of national significance and critical habitat for beluga whales -- is facially significant. The agency should publish the specific regulatory threshold analysis that supports the non-significant determination, so the public can evaluate whether OMB review was properly bypassed.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text

• PendingThe notice provides only a 45-day comment period (August 7 to September 21, 2026) for a permit governing discharges of pollutants into federal waters of Cook Inlet.

  The notice provides only a 45-day comment period (August 7 to September 21, 2026) for a permit governing discharges of pollutants into federal waters of Cook Inlet. The supporting documents -- the draft GP, Fact Sheet, and Ocean Discharge Criteria Evaluation -- are available only on an external EPA website and are not summarized in the notice. Forty-five days is inadequate for Tribal governments, fishing communities, and the public to obtain, read, and comment on multiple technical documents. The agency should extend the comment period to at least 60 days and hold at least one public hearing in the Cook Inlet region.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text

• PendingThe notice's summary states the permit will authorize 'certain discharges of pollutants' subject to 'limits and requirements designed to minimize pollution,' but it does not identify which pollutants

  The notice's summary states the permit will authorize 'certain discharges of pollutants' subject to 'limits and requirements designed to minimize pollution,' but it does not identify which pollutants are covered, what the discharge limits are, or which types of exploration facilities qualify. Members of the public who fish, subsist, or live near Cook Inlet cannot assess whether the limits are protective without that basic information in the notice itself. The agency should publish a plain-language summary of the pollutants authorized, the applicable numeric limits, and the facility types covered.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text

• PendingThe notice identifies this as a 'reissuance' of an existing general permit but provides no information about how conditions in Cook Inlet have changed since the prior permit was issued, whether prior

  The notice identifies this as a 'reissuance' of an existing general permit but provides no information about how conditions in Cook Inlet have changed since the prior permit was issued, whether prior permit limits proved protective, or what monitoring data from the existing permit informed the new limits. A reissuance that ignores the compliance and environmental record of the prior permit period is not adequately reasoned. The agency should disclose the compliance history and any monitoring data from the current permit and explain how that record shaped the proposed limits.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text

• PendingThe notice provides a single email address for submitting comments and makes no mention of any public hearing, in-person meeting, or virtual meeting in the Cook Inlet region.

  The notice provides a single email address for submitting comments and makes no mention of any public hearing, in-person meeting, or virtual meeting in the Cook Inlet region. Cook Inlet supports subsistence fishing communities and federally recognized Tribes whose members may lack reliable internet access. The absence of any in-region public participation opportunity raises procedural fairness concerns. The agency should schedule at least one public hearing accessible to Cook Inlet communities and Tribal governments before the comment period closes.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text