The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed two draft air permits that would clear the way for construction of the Blue Marlin Offshore Port, a deepwater crude export terminal in the Gulf of America off Cameron Parish, Louisiana. The proposal, announced Oct. 1 from EPA Region 6 headquarters in Dallas, sets the permitting foundation for a facility designed to load roughly 80,000 barrels of crude oil per hour onto carriers — a throughput that would total approximately 605 million barrels per year if the permits are finalized as drafted.

The two draft permits — a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) preconstruction permit and a Title V federal operating permit under the Clean Air Act — represent only the air-quality component of the broader federal permitting process for the Blue Marlin Deepwater Port. Neither construction nor operation can proceed on the timeline backers envision without them.

The engineering centerpiece of the air compliance case is vapor control. According to EPA, the project will deploy vapor-capture technology to prevent releases of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as crude oil is transferred onto tankers at the port. A dedicated vapor collection system feeding vapor combustion units is expected to achieve a 99 percent vapor-capture efficiency across the transfer and loading process. EPA frames this as the mechanism allowing expanded crude exports while area air quality standards hold.

EPA Regional Administrator Scott Mason tied the permitting action to the administration's energy production agenda.

"This project is not just about expanding infrastructure, it is about providing good-paying energy jobs and lowering prices at the pump by unleashing the full potential of American energy," Mason said. "If finalized as proposed, the Blue Marlin Deepwater Port will bring prosperity to not only the Gulf of America states but to Americans across the nation. American families win when we encourage innovations in engineering technology that allow home-grown energy dominance to flourish while maintaining high environmental standards."

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry cast the project as a state-level win with national backing.

"There has been no greater champion for the energy industry than President Trump and his Administration. The Blue Marlin Offshore Port project demonstrates that there has been no better home for energy dominance than Louisiana," Landry said. "I'm grateful to President Trump and Administrator Zeldin for working with us to make this project a reality. This is a win for Louisiana and the nation!"

Representative Clay Higgins (R-LA-03), whose district includes Cameron Parish, noted his office's advocacy for deepwater export infrastructure.

"Louisiana leads the world in advanced energy production, and Cameron Parish is certainly at the forefront of American energy dominance. When finalized, EPA's proposal will build on that strength while creating excellent jobs for Louisiana families," Higgins said. "My office has fought for deepwater projects, and Blue Marlin reflects the Trump administration's aim to expand American energy policy worldwide. I look forward to seeing Blue Marlin at 100% production."

For now, the project remains in the proposed stage. EPA will accept public comments for 30 days following publication of the proposal, with submission details posted on the agency's CAA permitting page. The 99 percent vapor-capture commitment and the 80,000-barrel-per-hour loading design are commitments EPA has put on the record in the draft permits — figures that final issuance will lock in and that opponents or commenters can contest during the window.

The regulatory milestone that decides what happens next: close of the 30-day public comment period and EPA's decision on whether to finalize the PSD and Title V permits as proposed. Only then does the 605-million-barrel-per-year export capacity attached to Blue Marlin move from announced project to permitted, buildable infrastructure.