Public Notice: Proposed Issuance of NPDES Permit for Vessel Testing a Pilot OceanWell off the Coast of California in Federal Waters and CWA §401 Water Quality Certification
Summary
EPA Region 9 is issuing a notice of proposed action under the Clean Water Act (CWA). EPA is proposing to issue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) for the Vessel Testing a Pilot OceanWell (hereafter “OceanWell”) located off the coast of California in federal waters under NPDES Permit No. CA0000018
EPA is soliciting comments on the issuance of the NPDES Permit for OceanWell for a pilot study testing of a desalination module at up to six sites in federal waters ranging from Morro Bay to Oceanside, California. The permit proposes to authorize freshwater and brine intermittent discharges from a desalination module into the Pacific Ocean from the outfalls listed in the table below:
| Test Site | Outfall Number | General Type of Effluent Discharged | Outfall Latitude |
Outfall Longitude |
Receiving Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 001A | Freshwater | N 35o 28’ 12” | W 121o 21’ 0” | Pacific Ocean |
| 002A | Brine | N 35o 28’ 12” | W 121o 21’ 0” | Pacific Ocean | |
| B | 001B | Freshwater | N 34o 19’ 12” | W 119o 59’ 24” | Pacific Ocean |
| 002B | Brine | N 34o 19’ 12” | W 119o 59’ 24” | Pacific Ocean | |
| C | 001C | Freshwater | N 34o 0’ 36” | W 119o 5’ 24” | Pacific Ocean |
| 002C | Brine | N 34o 0’ 36” | W 119o 5’ 24” | Pacific Ocean | |
| D | 001D | Freshwater | N 33o 55’ 48” | W 118o 48’ 36” | Pacific Ocean |
| 002D | Brine | N 33o 55’ 48” | W 118o 48’ 36” | Pacific Ocean | |
| E | 001E | Freshwater | N 33o 24’ 0” | W 117o 44’ 24” | Pacific Ocean |
| 002E | Brine | N 33o 24’ 0” | W 117o 44’ 24” | Pacific Ocean | |
| F | 001F | Freshwater | N 33o 5’ 24” | W 117o 30’ 0” | Pacific Ocean |
| 002F | Brine | N 33o 5’ 24” | W 117o 30’ 0” | Pacific Ocean |
The proposed permit includes monitoring requirements and effluent limits for three parameters, including flow, salinity, and free oil.
EPA is also soliciting comments regarding issuance of a Clean Water Act (CWA) §401 water quality certification for this permit. Under CWA §401, a federal agency may not issue a permit that may result in any discharge into waters of the United States unless the EPA, a state, or authorized tribe, where the discharge would originate, issues a §401 certification verifying compliance with existing water quality requirements or waives the certification requirement. EPA is the §401 certifying authority for this permit issuance.
Applicants or Respondents
Mark Golay1300 El Camino Real, Suite 100
Menlo Park, CA 94025
United States