Environmental Monitoring

Offshore Air Quality Compliance

Air emissions from OCS sources in the Alaska Region are regulated by EPA Region 10. Information on the EPA Region 10 air quality program can be found on the EPA website.

The EPA’s air permits require monitoring, record keeping, and reporting to the EPA. The EPA maintains a compliance website with information on inspections and enforcement actions.

The EPA includes provisions in its permits for OCS facilities that require records and logs to be maintained on-site and made available to the BOEMRE inspectors [for example, see the air permit for the McCovey exploration program in the Beaufort Sea.] In the Alaska Region, an inspector reviews the required records for compliance with permit terms and may conduct additional inspections for compliance. If a potential non-compliance issue is identified, the Alaska Region will notify the EPA.

In the Alaska Region, OCS exploration and development may occur from facilities located on State of Alaska submerged lands. The Northstar development project is an example. Air emissions from facilities located on state lands are regulated by the State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Information on the State of Alaska website contains information on its air permit program.