Back to NTLS

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE
GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION

Production Activities Information Collection and Reporting for Calculations of
Air Emissions in the Western Gulf of Mexico

Authority
The Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) hereby directs lessees and operators of each affected OCS lease in the Gulf of Mexico to collect and report facility, equipment, fuel usage, and other activity information during the period January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2005.  The authorities for these requirements include, but are not limited to, 30 CFR 250.303(k), 30 CFR 250.304(g), 30 CFR 250.203(o), and 30 CFR 250.204(s).

Purpose and Need for NTL
The MMS and Gulf Coast States need information for the year 2005 on OCS production activities in the Western Gulf of Mexico (that portion of the OCS west of 87^o 30' West longitude), which will coincide with the 2005 State emission inventories, for input into ozone and regional haze models. 

Background
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has promulgated more stringent National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and particulate matter (PM_2.5).   EPA has also proposed new regional haze regulations to improve visibility.   All these regulations will require state agencies to perform modeling for ozone and regional haze for use in their State Implementation Plans (SIPs).  In order to conduct this air quality modeling, emission inventories must be generated. 

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) specify that states are to prepare emission inventories every three years, starting in 1996.  These inventories are used to determine how well states are progressing in controlling emissions and in turn improving air quality.  The emission inventories are also used to conduct air pollution dispersion modeling, especially for those regions that fail to meet the NAAQS.   There are a number of such regions along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico that are using these periodic emission inventories to address their air quality issues.  To date, these regions have had to use the 1992 emissions inventory developed for OCS sources.  Shortly, with the completion of the Gulf-wide Offshore Activity Data System (GOADS) project, MMS will be able to provide these regions with an updated year 2000 emissions inventory for their use in air quality modeling.  The next operator activity data collection is scheduled for the year 2005.

Definitions
“Western Gulf of Mexico” means all OCS areas of the Gulf of Mexico except those the Director decides are adjacent to the State of Florida (30 CFR 205.105).   The Western Gulf of Mexico is not the same as the Western Planning Area, an area established for OCS Lease Sale planning.  Air emissions from OCS sources in the Western Gulf of Mexico are regulated by MMS (30 CFR 250.300 et seq.).  Section 328(a) of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (P.L. 101-549) gives the EPA jurisdiction for regulation of air emissions from OCS sources for all OCS areas other than those located in the Gulf of Mexico off the State of Florida west of 87.5 degrees longitude  (42 U.S.C. 7627; 40 CFR 55.3).  This is the same boundary as the “Western Gulf of Mexico.” 

Affected leases include all leases in the Western and Central Planning Areas, and those in the Eastern Planning area west of 87.5 degrees longitude.   This includes the entire Sale 181 area.

OCS Activity Data Collection and Submission to MMS
This OCS activity data will be collected and submitted to MMS by use of the 2005 Gulf-wide Offshore Activities Data System (GOADS-2005) software.  The GOADS-2005 works on IBM-compatible personal computers (PCs) equipped with the Microsoft Windows 2000, NT, or XP operating systems.

The GOMR has posted, or soon will post, the following materials on the “Air Quality” portion of the MMS website at www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/requirements.html : 
    (1)    this NTL;
    (2)    GOADS-2005 Software, which will be used to collect and report your OCS activity data;
    (3)    GOADS-2005 User’s Guide;
    (4)    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs);
    (5)    How to Submit Emissions Reports; and
    (6)    Technical Support/Updates.
 

Workshop
In addition, the GOMR will hold a workshop on October 13, 2004, to discuss and explain these information collection and reporting procedures.  Lessees, operators, and contractors are invited to attend this workshop, which will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the offices of the GOMR located at 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana.   Since the workshop will have a hands-on session for questions and answers pertaining to the GOADS-2005 software, attendees should download and practice using the software before the workshop, and bring a laptop computer to the workshop with the software loaded.  The workshop agenda will include (1) the information you will collect and report, (2) the schedule for submittal of this information, (3) the information reporting software, GOADS-2005, and (4) a hands-on session to ask questions about GOADS-2005.

The GOMR may hold a second workshop in 2005 to address any new questions that may arise once you start collecting data. 

Reporting Schedule
All activity data must be submitted to MMS by April 21, 2006.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Statement
The information collection provisions of this notice are intended to provide clarification, description, or interpretation of requirements contained in 30 CFR 250, Subparts B and C.  The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the current information collection requirements for these regulations and assigned OMB Control Nos. 1010-0049 and 1010-0057, respectively.  This NTL does not impose additional information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Contacts
Contact Ms. Holli Ensz of this office at (504) 736-2536 or Holli.Ensz@mms.gov if you have any questions concerning this NTL.

Chris C. Oynes
Regional Director