Onshore Facility Standards

Section 307.4503  Onshore Facility Standards a)         Applicability.  This Section applies to facilities engaged in the production, field exploration, drilling, well completion, and well treatment in the oil and gas extraction industry that are not included within subpart F of 40 CFR 435 (2016) (Stripper Subcategory), incorporated by reference.  This incorporation includes no later amendments or editions. BOARD NOTE:  Subsection (a) is derived from 40 CFR 435.30 (2016). b)         Specialized Definitions.  For the purpose of this Section, the general definitions, abbreviations, and methods of analysis set forth in 40 CFR 401 (2016), incorporated by reference, apply to this Section.  This incorporation includes no later amendments or editions. BOARD NOTE:  Subsection (b) is derived from 40 CFR 435.31 (2016). c)         Pretreatment Standards for Existing Sources (PSES). 1)         PSES for Wastewater from Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction. Except as provided in 40 CFR 403.7 and 403.13 (2016), incorporated by reference, any existing source subject to this Section must achieve the following PSES.  This incorporation by reference includes no later amendments or editions. A)        There must be no discharge of wastewater pollutants associated with production, field exploration, drilling, well completion, or well treatment for unconventional oil and gas extraction (including, but not limited to, drilling muds, drill cuttings, produced sand, or produced water) into publicly owned treatment works. B)        For the purposes of this subsection (c) and subsection (d), the following definitions apply: i)          "Unconventional oil and gas" means crude oil and natural gas produced by a well drilled into a shale or tight formation (including, but not limited to, shale gas, shale oil, tight gas, or tight oil). ii)         "Drill cuttings" means the particles generated by drilling into subsurface geologic formations and carried out from the wellbore with the drilling fluid. iii)        "Drilling mud" means the circulating fluid (mud) used in the rotary drilling of wells to clean and condition the hole and to counterbalance formation pressure. iv)        "Produced sand" means the slurried particles used in hydraulic fracturing, the accumulated formation sands, and scale particles generated during production.  Produced sand also includes desander discharge from the produced water waste stream and blowdown of the water phase from the produced water treating system. v)         "Produced water" means the fluid brought up from the hydrocarbon-bearing strata during the extraction of oil and gas, and includes, where present, formation water, injection water, and any chemicals added downhole or during the oil/water separation process. C)        Compliance Deadline for Existing Sources.  Existing sources lawfully discharging into publicly owned treatment works on or between April 7, 2015 and June 28, 2016 must comply with the PSES before August 29, 2019.  All other existing sources must immediately comply. BOARD NOTE:  Corresponding 40 CFR 435.33(a)(3) provides, "All other existing sources shall comply by August 29, 2016." 2)         PSES for Wastewater from Conventional Oil and Gas Extraction.  The pretreatment standards of this subsection (c) do not apply to conventional oil and gas extraction.  This subsection (c)(2) corresponds with 40 CFR 435.33(b), which USEPA marked "reserved." BOARD NOTE:  Subsection (c) is derived from 40 CFR 435.33 (2016), as amended at 81 Fed. Reg. 67191 (Sept. 30, 2016). d)         Pretreatment Standards for New Sources (PSNS). 1)         Wastewater from Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction.  Except as provided in 40 CFR 403.7 and 403.13 (2016), incorporated by reference, any new source with discharges subject to this Section must achieve the following PSNS.  This incorporation by reference includes no later amendments or editions.  There must be no discharge of wastewater pollutants associated with production, field exploration, drilling, well completion, or well treatment for unconventional oil and gas extraction (including, but not limited to, drilling muds, drill cuttings, produced sand, or produced water) into publicly owned treatment works. 2)         PSNS for Wastewater from Conventional Oil and Gas Extraction.  The pretreatment standards of this subsection (d) do not apply to conventional oil and gas extraction.  This subsection (d)(2) corresponds with 40 CFR 435.34(b), which USEPA marked "reserved." BOARD NOTE:  Subsection (d) is derived from 40 CFR 435.34 (2016).