United States Region 10 Alaska Environmental Protection 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 Idaho Agency Seattle, WA 98101 Oregon Washington FINAL OCEAN DISCHARGE CRITERIA EVALUATION FOR THE COOK INLET EXPLORATION NPDES GENERAL PERMIT Prepared by: With the assistance of: U.S. EPA, Region 10 Tetra Tech, Inc. Office of Water & Watersheds 10306 Eaton Place Ste. 340 NPDES Permits Unit Fairfax, VA 22030 Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Purpose of Evaluation .............................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Scope of Evaluation .................................................................................................................................. 5 1.2.1 Coverage Area of the Permit and Applicability of this ODCE ............................................ 6 1.2.2 Prohibited Areas of the Permit ............................................................................................. 6 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES ................................................................... 9 2.1 Background .............................................................................................................................................. 9 2.2 Exploration in Federal Waters ................................................................................................................ 10 2.3 The Drilling Process ................................................................................................................................ 10 2.4 Summary ................................................................................................................................................ 12 3.0 DISCHARGED MATERIALS, ESTIMATED QUANTITIES, AND MODELED BEHAVIOR 13 3.1 Authorized Discharges ........................................................................................................................... 13 3.1.1 Drill Cuttings ..................................................................................................................... 13 3.1.2 Drilling Fluids .................................................................................................................... 14 3.2 Other Discharges .................................................................................................................................... 21 3.2.1 Deck Drainage ................................................................................................................... 21 3.2.2 Sanitary and Domestic Waste ............................................................................................ 22 3.2.3 Desalination Unit Waste .................................................................................................... 23 3.2.4 Blowout Preventer Fluid .................................................................................................... 23 3.2.5 Boiler Blowdown ............................................................................................................... 23 3.2.6 Fire Control System Test Water ........................................................................................ 23 3.2.7 Non-Contact Cooling Water .............................................................................................. 24 3.2.8 Ballast Water ...................................................................................................................... 24 3.2.9 Bilge Water ........................................................................................................................ 24 3.2.10 Excess Cement ................................................................................................................... 24 3.2.11 Drilling Fluid, Cuttings, and Cement at Seafloor .............................................................. 25 3.2.12 Chemically Treated Seawater Discharges ......................................................................... 25 3.3 Estimated Discharge Quantities ............................................................................................................. 26 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ......................................................... 28 4.1 Climate and Meteorology ...................................................................................................................... 28 4.2 Oceanography ........................................................................................................................................ 29 4.3 Potential Hazards ................................................................................................................................... 34 4.3.1 Volcanoes ........................................................................................................................... 34 4.3.2 Tsunamis and Seiches ........................................................................................................ 35 4.3.3 Marine and Seafloor Hazards............................................................................................. 36 4.3.4 Ice Hazards......................................................................................................................... 37 4.3.5 Flood Hazards .................................................................................................................... 37 5.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT..................................................... 40 5.1 Plankton, algae and benthic invertebrates ............................................................................................ 40 5.1.1 Phytoplankton .................................................................................................................... 40 5.1.2 Zooplankton ....................................................................................................................... 42 5.1.3 Attached Macroalgae and Microalgae ............................................................................... 44 5.1.4 Benthic Invertebrates ......................................................................................................... 47 AKG285100 ODCE 1 5.2 Fishes ...................................................................................................................................................... 50 5.2.1 Distribution and Abundance .............................................................................................. 50 5.2.2 Pelagic fish ......................................................................................................................... 50 5.2.3 Groundfish ......................................................................................................................... 54 5.2.4 Other Nonendangered Fish ................................................................................................ 56 5.2.5 Growth and Production ...................................................................................................... 56 5.2.6 Environmental Factors ....................................................................................................... 56 5.2.7 Fish Habitat ........................................................................................................................ 57 5.3 Marine Mammals ................................................................................................................................... 57 5.3.1 Distribution and Abundance .............................................................................................. 57 5.3.2 Growth and Production ...................................................................................................... 60 5.3.3 Environmental Factors ....................................................................................................... 61 5.4 Coastal and Marine Birds ....................................................................................................................... 62 5.4.1 Distribution and Abundance .............................................................................................. 62 5.4.2 Growth and Production ...................................................................................................... 64 5.4.3 Environmental Factors ....................................................................................................... 65 5.4.4 Coastal and Marine Bird Habitat ....................................................................................... 66 5.5 Threatened and Endangered Species..................................................................................................... 66 5.5.1 SNAKE RIVER SPRING, SUMMER, and FALL CHINOOK SALMON (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and SNAKE RIVER SOCKEYE SALMON (Oncorhynchus nerka) ..................... 67 5.5.2 SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS (Phoebastria albatrus) ................................................. 67 5.5.3 STELLER'S EIDER (Polysticta stelleri) ........................................................................... 69 5.5.4 BLUE WHALE (Balaenoptera musculus) ........................................................................ 72 5.5.5 FIN WHALE (Balaenoptera physalus) ............................................................................. 73 5.5.6 HUMPBACK WHALE (Megaptera novaeangliae) .......................................................... 74 5.5.7 NORTH PACIFIC RIGHT