The public comment period is currently open for proposed National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit coverage
for recreational vessels less than 79 feet in length. USEPA has
published a Notice of Proposed Permit Issuance and Public Hearing, (June
17, 2008 Federal Register) prompted by a broad 9th Federal Circuit court
ruling resulting from a lawsuit aimed at requiring USEPA action to
control ballast water discharges from ships that sets September 30, 2008
as a deadline for USEPA action.
The comment period closes on August 1, 2008. You can electronically
file comments at the Regulations.gov website for federal agency
regulatory actions. Please see the URL for Regulations.gov to comment
on this matter. If you do comment, please consider reviewing the
Federal Register Notice and the Fact Sheet (see URL below) and using the
comment guide for reference - ranting is never the best course.
Here are the websites, citations/documents:
First go to the Regulations.gov site and use the search function under
the red SEARCH banner with the citation included in this post just below
the URL. You can then move around the regs.gov site to find current
public comments, the background documents including the Federal Register
notice, timing of a public hearing and a webinar etc.
As with all processes like this, it is unclear what will ultimately be
used by the USEPA to create Best Management Practices (BMPs) and other
provisions of the Recreational Vessel Permit (RVP) general permit if it
is issued, but its a good bet that the material found in the "Fact
Sheet" and the document entitled "National Management Measures Guidance
to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Marinas and Recreational
Boating" located at the URL below will be the basis.
Please know that all of this might be made moot by timely action by the
federal appeals court reviewing the 9th circuit ruling.
The Boat US website has extensive information on this matter including
information on efforts to override this process via legislation.
Regulations.gov URL:
http://www.regulations.gov/search/index.jsp
NPDES Vessel Discharge Rulemaking Citation Number:
EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0056
2001 National Management Measures for Marinas and Recreational Boating
Guide URL
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/mmsp/index.html
USEPA Permit Fact Sheet
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/vessel_rec_factsheet.pdf
Boat US Website
http://www.boatus.com/gov/
Recreational Vessel Discharge Permit Proposal Comment Period
Moderator: Jim Walsh