Phase III—Certain existing facilities and new offshore and coastal oil and gas extraction facilities

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Final Rule

EPA has published the third and final part of regulations designed to minimize harmful impacts on aquatic life caused by cooling water intake structures. This "Phase III" rule establishes categorical requirements under section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act for new offshore oil and gas extraction facilities that have a design intake flow threshold of greater than 2 million gallons per day (MGD) and that withdraw at least 25 percent of the water exclusively for cooling purposes.

The Administrator signed this rule on June 1, 2006, and it was published in the Federal Register on June 16, 2006.

• Fact sheet about the final rule (June 1, 2006)
• Final Rule | Print Version of this rule (PDF) (42 pp, 542K) (June 16, 2006)

Support Documents

• Final Technical Development Document
• Economic and Benefits Analysis
• Regional Benefits Analysis

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Final Technical Development Document

• Final Technical Development Document Part 1 (Chapters 1-4) (PDF) (143 pp, 2.9MB)
  1. Summary of the Final Rule
  2. Description of the Industry
  3. Technology Cost Modules for Manufacturers
  4. Impingment and Entrainment Controls
• Final Technical Development Document Part 2 (Chapters 5-9) (PDF) (155 pp, 1.5MB)
  5. Costing Methodology for Phase III Existing Model Facilities
  6. Impingement Mortality and Entrainment Reduction Estimates
  7. Technology Cost Modules for Offshore Oil and Gas Extraction Facilities
  8. Efficacy of Cooling Water Intake Structure Technologies
  9. 316(b) Phase III Implementation for New Offshore Oil and Gas Extraction Facilities

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Economic and Benefits Analysis

• Economic and Benefits Analysis Part 1 (PDF) (315 pp, 2.8MB)
  • Chapter A1: Introduction
  • Chapter A2: Considerations in Assessing the Need for Phase III Regulation
  • Chapter B1: Summary of Cost Categories and Key Analysis Elements for New Offshore Oil and Gas Extraction Facilities
  • Chapter B2: Profile of the Offshore Oil and Gas Extraction Industry
  • Chapter B3: Economic Impact Analysis for the Offshore Oil and Gas Extraction Industry
  • Chapter C1: Summary of Cost Categories and Key Analysis Elements for Existing Facilities
  • Chapter C2: Profile of Manufacturers
• Economic and Benefits Analysis Part 2 (PDF) (246 pp, 2.0MB)
  • Chapter C3: Economic Impact Analysis for Manufacturers
  • Chapter D1: Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
  • Chapter D2: UMRA Analysis
  • Chapter D3: Other Administrative Requirements
  • Chapter E1: Summary of Social Costs
  • Chapter E2: Summary of Benefits
  • Chapter E3: Comparison of Benefits and Social Costs

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Regional Benefits Analysis

For the Final Section 316(b) Phase III Existing Facilities Rule (EPA-821-R-04-007)

• Regional Benefits Analysis Part 1 (PDF) (182 pp, 1.2MB)
  • Chapter A: Evaluation Methods
  • Chapter A1: Methods Used to Evaluate Impingment and Entrainment
  • Chapter A2: Uncertainty
  • Chapter A3: Economic Benefit Categories and Valuation
  • Chapter A4: Methods for Estimating Commercial Fishing Benefits
  • Chapter A5: Recreational Fishing Benefits Methodology
  • Chapter A-6 Qualitative Assessment of Non-Use Benefits
  • Chapter A-7: Entrainment Survival
  • Chapter A-8: Discounting Benefits
  • Chapter A-9: Threatened and Endangered Species Analysis Methods
• Regional Benefits Analysis Part 2 (PDF) (246 pp, 2.2MB)
  • Chapter B: California
  • Chapter C: North Atlantic
  • Chapter D: Mid-Atlantic
  • Chapter E: Gulf of Mexico
• Regional Benefits Analysis Part 3 (PDF) (225 pp, 2.0MB)
  • Chapter F: The Great Lakes
  • Chapter G: The Inland Region
  • Chapter H: South Atlantic
  • Chapter I: National Benefits

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Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

Proposed Rule

On November 1, 2004, we proposed location, design, construction and capacity standards for cooling water intake structures at certain existing facilities and new offshore and coastal oil and gas extraction facilities.

The Agency received or collected significant data related to the costs and benefits of this regulation. EPA published a Notice of Data Availability (NODA) and reopened the comment period on the proposal for 30 days.

• Fact sheet (summary) about the proposed rule (November 1, 2004)
• Proposed Rule published in the Federal Register | HTML and PDF version available (November 24, 2004)

View background material through Regulations.gov. Type OW-2004-0002 into the search field.

Support Documents

• Technical Development Document Part 1 (PDF) (175 pp, 6.6MB) | Technical Development Document Part 2 (PDF) (197 pp, 2.2MB)
• Economic Analysis (PDF) (595 pp, 5.7MB)
• Regional Benefits Assessment (PDF) (651 pp, 5.2MB)

Information Collection Request (November 2004)

• Supporting Statement (PDF) (96 pp, 220K)
• "50 MGD For All Waterbodies" Option (PDF) (26 pp, 499K)
• "200 MGD For All Waterbodies" Option (PDF) (26 pp, 500K)
• "100 MGD For Oceans, Estuaries, Tidal Rivers or one of the Great Lakes (Certain Waterbodies)" Option (PDF) (25 pp, 497K)
• Supporting spreadsheets - costs for new offshore oil and gas extraction facilities (PDF) (19 pp, 84K)

Industry Questionnaires

• Industry Questionnaires

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