# National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System-Final Regulations To Establish Requirements for Cooling Water Intake Structures at Phase III Facilities
> **Rule** · Final rule. · Published 2006-06-16 · Effective 2006-07-17 · 71 FR 35006
## Document
- **Document number:** 06-5218
- **Category:** other
- **Federal Register citation:** 71 FR 35006
- **CFR reference:** 40 CFR 9
- **Publication date:** 2006-06-16
- **Effective date:** 2006-07-17
- **EPA docket:** OW-2004-0002, FRL-8181-5
## Abstract

On November 1, 2004, EPA published a proposal that contained several options for the control of cooling water intake structures at existing Phase III facilities and at new offshore oil and gas extraction facilities. This rule establishes categorical section 316(b) requirements for intake structures at new offshore oil and gas extraction facilities that have a design intake flow threshold of greater than 2 million gallons per day and that withdraw at least 25 percent of the water exclusively for cooling purposes. For existing Phase III facilities, EPA determined that uniform national standards are not the most effective way at this time to address cooling water intake structures at these facilities. Instead, EPA believes that it is better to continue to rely upon the existing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, which implements section 316(b) for existing facilities not covered under the Phase II rule on a case-by-case, best professional judgment basis. This final action constitutes Phase III of EPA's section 316(b) regulation development. This rule does not alter the regulatory requirements for facilities subject to the Phase I or Phase II regulations.

## Source
- [Federal Register document](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/06/16/06-5218/national-pollutant-discharge-elimination-system-final-regulations-to-establish-requirements-for)
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