The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is reviewing a preliminary draft permit for ConocoPhillips Alaska's seawater treatment plant at Kuparuk, which processes water used to maintain oil field pressures. The agency will accept public comments during a formal 30-day review period that begins after May 15.

The facility sits on the mainland shoreline at Olitok Point between Simpson Lagoon and Harrison Bay in the Beaufort Sea. It treats and distributes seawater for waterflood operations that help extract oil from the Kuparuk field.

The permit would authorize two discharge points. One releases backwash water from strainers and filters. The other returns marine life caught in intake systems back to the ocean. Both discharges would include mixing zones where chlorine levels and temperature changes exceed normal water quality standards within limited areas.

ConocoPhillips has until May 15 to review the preliminary draft. After that, the department will prepare a final draft permit and fact sheet for public comment.

The preliminary documents are available at DEC offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Soldotna, and Wasilla. Residents can also view them online at dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater.

Amy Wockenfuss with the department's wastewater program can answer questions at 907-269-8874 or [email protected]. Alaskans can sign up for email alerts about permit reviews at list.state.ak.us/mailman/listinfo/DEC-APDES.