As an owner or operator of a new offshore oil and gas extraction facility, you will be required to perform monitoring to demonstrate your compliance with the requirements specified in §125.134 or alternative requirements under §125.135.

(a) Biological monitoring.

(1)

(i) Fixed facilities without sea chests that choose to comply with the Track I requirements in §125.134(b)(1)(i) must monitor for entrainment. These facilities are not required to monitor for impingement, unless the Director determines that the information would be necessary to evaluate the need for or compliance with additional requirements in accordance with §125.134(b)(4) or more stringent requirements in accordance with §125.134(d).

(ii) Fixed facilities with sea chests that choose to comply with Track I requirements are not required to perform biological monitoring unless the Director determines that the information would be necessary to evaluate the need for or compliance with additional requirements in accordance with §125.134(b)(4) or more stringent requirements in accordance with §125.134(d).

(iii) Facilities that are not fixed facilities are not required to perform biological monitoring unless the Director determines that the information would be necessary to evaluate the need for or compliance with additional requirements in accordance with §125.134(b)(4) or more stringent requirements in accordance with §125.134(d).

(iv) Fixed facilities with sea chests that choose to comply with Track II requirements in accordance with §125.134(c), must monitor for impingement only. Fixed facilities without sea chests that choose to comply with Track II requirements, must monitor for both impingement and entrainment.

(2) Monitoring must characterize the impingement rates and (if applicable) entrainment rates) of commercial, recreational, and forage base fish and shellfish species identified in the Source Water Baseline Biological Characterization data required by 40 CFR 122.21(r)(4), identified in the Comprehensive Demonstration Study required by §125.136(c)(2), or as specified by the Director.

(3) The monitoring methods used must be consistent with those used for the Source Water Baseline Biological Characterization data required in 40 CFR 122.21(r)(4), those used by the Comprehensive Demonstration Study required by §125.136(c)(2), or as specified by the Director. You must follow the monitoring frequencies identified below for at least two (2) years after the initial permit issuance. After that time, the Director may approve a request for less frequent sampling in the remaining years of the permit term and when the permit is reissued, if supporting data show that less frequent monitoring would still allow for the detection of any seasonal variations in the species and numbers of individuals that are impinged or entrained.

(4) Impingement sampling. You must collect samples to monitor impingement rates (simple enumeration) for each species over a 24-hour period and no less than once per month when the cooling water intake structure is in operation.

(5) Entrainment sampling. If your facility is subject to the requirements of §125.134(b)(1)(i), or if your facility is subject to §125.134(c) and is a fixed facility without a sea chest, you must collect samples to monitor entrainment rates (simple enumeration) for each species over a 24-hour period and no less than biweekly during the primary period of reproduction, larval recruitment, and peak abundance identified during the Source Water Baseline Biological Characterization required by 40 CFR 122.21(r)(4) or the Comprehensive Demonstration Study required in §125.136(c)(2). You must collect samples only when the cooling water intake structure is in operation.

(b) Velocity monitoring. If your facility uses a surface intake screen systems, you must monitor head loss across the screens and correlate the measured value with the design intake velocity. The head loss across the intake screen must be measured at the minimum ambient source water surface elevation (best professional judgment based on available hydrological data). The maximum head loss across the screen for each cooling water intake structure must be used to determine compliance with the velocity requirement in §125.134(b)(2). If your facility uses devices other than surface intake screens, you must monitor velocity at the point of entry through the device. You must monitor head loss or velocity during initial facility startup, and thereafter, at the frequency specified in your NPDES permit, but no less than once per quarter.

(c) Visual or remote inspections. You must either conduct visual inspections or employ remote monitoring devices during the period the cooling water intake structure is in operation. You must conduct visual inspections at least weekly to ensure that any design and construction technologies required in §125.134(b)(4), (b)(5), (c), and/or (d) are maintained and operated to ensure that they will continue to function as designed. Alternatively, you must inspect via remote monitoring devices to ensure that the impingement and entrainment technologies are functioning as designed.