Introduction
40 CFR § 435.50 et seq. is an exemption to the Clean Water Act, applicable to onshore oil and gas operations (i.e. production, drilling, well completion, and well treatment) west of the 98th meridian, which allows discharge of produced water into navigable waters for use in agriculture or wildlife propagation.
Congress enacted the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972 in order to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” 33 U.S.C. § 1251(a) (2012). To accomplish this goal, the Act prohibits the “discharge of any pollutant by any person” into “navigable waters” unless authorized by a permit or specifically exempt by the Act. See id. §§ 1311(a), 1362(7), (12). Sections 402 and 404 of the Act create permitting systems for the discharge of pollutants. See id. §§ 1342, 1344.
The Army Corps regulates the permitting of the discharges of dredged and fill material under section 404. Id. § 1344; 33 C.F.R. § 323.3(a). These discharges are not at issue here. Prior to the discharge of all other pollutants from point sources, an entity must first obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit under the section 402 permitting scheme administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). 33 U.S.C. § 1342. The NPDES Permit Program controls water pollution by regulating point sources (discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches) that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. The produced water exemption allows oil and gas producers to dump wastewater produced from their operations without a permit.
The Environmental Law Society ECO SLPS Group used the Colorado Open Records Act to research discharge of produced water pursuant to 40 CFR § 435.50 et seq. in Colorado. The documents are summarized and indexed below.
Documents Obtained
First Request for Information – March 5, 2014
Documents received in response
- 01 – COG840001 – Application 10-31-2008
- 02 – COG840001 – Correspondence from WQCD 5-19-2010
- 03 – COG840001 – Correspondence to WQCD 3-30-2010
- 04 – COG840001 – Correspondence to WQCD 10-16-2008
- 05 – COG840001 – Fact Sheet 2-23-2012
- 06 – COG840001 – Modification Request 3-6-2009
- 07 – COG840001 – Permit Certification 2-23-2012
- 08 – COG840002 – Analyses and Calculations 1-1-2010
- 09 – COG840002 – Application 3-25-2010
- 10 – COG840002 – Correspondence from WQCD 4-30-2010
- 11 – COG840002 – Correspondence from WQCD 5-14-2010
- 12 – COG840002 – Correspondence from WQCD 7-15-2010
- 13 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 2-8-2012
- 14 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 2-21-2014
- 15 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 3-29-2010
- 16 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 4-30-2010 a
- 17 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 4-30-2010 b
- 18 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 4-30-2010 c
- 19 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 4-30-2010 d
- 20 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 7-26-2010
- 21 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 10-27-2010
- 22 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 11-17-2011
- 23 – COG840002 – Correspondence to WQCD 11-29-2010
- 24 – COG840002 – Fact Sheet 2-6-2012
- 25 – COG840002 – Fact Sheet 3-16-2011
- 26 – COG840002 – Modification Request 11-17-2011
- 27 – COG840002 – Permit Certification 2-6-2012
- 28 – COG840002 – Permit Certification 4-1-2011
- 29 – COG840004 – Correspondence from WQCD 10-24-2013
- 30 – COG840004 – Correspondence to WQCD 8-12-2010
- 31 – COG840004 – Fact Sheet 2-9-2012
- 32 – COG840004 – Inactivation Request 9-25-2013
- 33 – COG840004 – Permit Certification 2-9-2012
- 34 – COG840005 – Application 12-16-2005 a
- 35 – COG840005 – Application 12-16-2015 b
- 36 – COG840005 – Correspondence from WQCD 4-24-2012
- 37 – COG840005 – Correspondence from WQCD 5-15-2012
- 38 – COG840005 – Correspondence from WQCD 8-18-2010
- 39 – COG840005 – Correspondence to WQCD 4-24-2012
- 40 – COG840005 – Fact Sheet 3-1-2012
- 41 – COG840005 – Modification 4-24-2012
- 42 – COG840005 – Modification 5-15-2012
- 43 – COG840005 – Modification Request 4-19-2012
- 44 – COG840005 – Permit Certification 4-24-2012
- 45 – COG840007 – Fact Sheet 2-27-2012
- 46 – COG840007 – Permit Certification 2-27-2012
- 47 – COG840008 – Correspondence from WQCD 8-2-2010
- 48 – COG840008 – Correspondence from WQCD 9-29-2011
- 49 – COG840008 – Fact Sheet 3-1-2012
- 50 – COG840008 – Permit Certification 3-1-2012
- 51 – COG840009 – Correspondence from WQCD 8-2-2010
- 52 – COG840009 – Correspondence from WQCD 9-29-2011
- 53 – COG840009 – Fact Sheet 3-2-2012
- 54 – COG840009 – Permit Certification 3-1-2012
- 55 – COG840011 – Application 1-11-2013
- 56 – COG840011 – Correspondence from WQCD 4-12-2013
- 57 – COG840011 – Correspondence to WQCD 4-9-2013
- 58 – COG840011 – Fact Sheet 3-13-2012
- 59 – COG840011 – Permit Certification 3-22-2012
- 60 – COG840012 – Fact Sheet 12-19-2013
- 61 – COG840012 – Permit Certification 12-19-2013
- 62 – COG840012 – Termination Request 1-16-2014
- 63 – COG840013 – Fact Sheet 12-18-2013
- 64 – COG840013 – Permit Certification 12-18-2013
- 65 – COG840014 – Application 3-1-2013
- 66 – COG840014 – Correspondence to WQCD 1-9-2012
- 67 – COG840014 – Fact Sheet 10-8-2013
- 68 – COG840014 – Fact Sheet 12-19-2013
- 69 – COG840014 – Modification 12-19-2013
- 70 – COG840014 – Permit Certification 10-8-2013
- 71 – COG840015 – Application 3-1-2013
- 72 – COG840015 – Correspondence to WQCD 3-6-2013 a
- 73 – COG840015 – Correspondence to WQCD 3-6-2013 b
- 74 – COG840015 – Correspondence to WQCD 3-6-2013 c
- 75 – COG840015 – Fact Sheet 10-8-2013
- 76 – COG840015 – Fact Sheet 12-19-2013
- 77 – COG840015 – Modification 12-19-2013
- 78 – COG840015 – Permit Certification 10-8-2013
- 79 – COG840016 – Application 11-7-2013
- 80 – COG840016 – Fact Sheet 12-18-2013
- 81 – COG840016 – Permit Certification 12-18-2013
Second Request for Information – October 17, 2014
Documents received in response – Part I
Documents received in response – Part II
- Item 1
- Item 2
- 001- rec_424497
- 002- rec_425114
- 003- rec_430738
- 004- rec_430739
- 005- rec_430740
- 006- rec_430741
- 007- rec_430742
- 008- rec_431572
- 009- rec_431823
- 010- rec_436827
- 011- rec_437817
- 012- rec_438685
- 013- rec_439582
- 014- rec_439766
- 015- rec_439767
- 016- rec_439928
- 017- rec_446707
- 018- rec_446876
- 019- rec_446899
- 020- rec_446910
- 021- rec_446911
- 022- rec_446977
- 023- rec_447117
- 024- rec_447118
- 025- rec_447119
- 026- rec_447120
- 027- rec_447121
- 028- rec_449371
- 029- rec_449406
- 030- rec_449431
- 031- rec_449432
- 032- rec_450530
- 033- rec_452466
- 034- rec_453573
- 035- rec_459038
- 036- rec_459064
- 037- rec_459181
- 038- rec_459748
- 039- rec_459749
- 040- rec_459750
- 041- rec_459751
- 042- rec_459752
- 043- rec_459753
- 044- rec_459755
- 045- rec_459756
- 046- rec_459757
- 047- rec_464438
- 048- rec_465402
- 049- rec_465415
- 050- rec_466332
- 051- rec_466333
- 052- rec_467096
- 053- rec_467125
- 054- rec_468936
- Item 3
- Item 4
- 001- rec_51912
- 002- rec_51913
- 003- rec_51917
- 004- rec_219950
- 005- rec_219952
- 006- rec_239907
- 007- rec_239908
- 008- rec_239909
- 009- rec_239910
- 010- rec_239911
- 011- rec_239912
- 012- rec_240716
- 013- rec_240717
- 014- rec_240718
- 015- rec_240719
- 016- rec_240720
- 017- rec_240721
- 018- rec_348476
- 019- rec_348477
- 020- rec_348479
- 021- rec_348480
- 022- rec_374428
- 023- rec_374429
- 024- rec_374430
- 025- rec_374431
- 026- rec_374440
- 027- rec_374441
- 028- rec_374442
- 029- rec_374443
- 030- rec_377016
- 031- rec_377018
- 032- rec_393607
- 033- rec_396873
- 034- rec_396874
Summary of Requests 1 and 2
Memorandum summarizing the information received in response to March 5 and October 17 requests
Third Request for Information – October 28, 2014
Documents received in response – Part I
Documents received in response – Part II (after February 3, 2015 follow-up)
Summary of Request 3
Memorandum summarizing the information received in response to October 28 request
Index