§ 140.4 - Complete prohibition.

§ 140.4 Complete prohibition.

(a) Prohibition pursuant to CWA section 312(f)(3): a State may completely prohibit the discharge from all vessels of any sewage, whether treated or not, into some or all of the waters within such State by making a written application to the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, and by receiving the Administrator's affirmative determination pursuant to section 312(f)(3) of the Act. Upon receipt of an application under section 312(f)(3) of the Act, the Administrator will determine within 90 days whether adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels using such waters are reasonably available. Applications made by States pursuant to section 312(f)(3) of the Act shall include:

(1) A certification that the protection and enhancement of the waters described in the petition require greater environmental protection than the applicable Federal standard;

(2) A map showing the location of commercial and recreational pump-out facilities;

(3) A description of the location of pump-out facilities within waters designated for no discharge;

(4) The general schedule of operating hours of the pump-out facilities;

(5) The draught requirements on vessels that may be excluded because of insufficient water depth adjacent to the facility;

(6) Information indicating that treatment of wastes from such pump-out facilities is in conformance with Federal law; and

(7) Information on vessel population and vessel usage of the subject waters.

(b) Prohibition pursuant to CWA section 312(f)(4)(A): a State may make a written application to the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, under section 312(f)(4)(A) of the Act, for the issuance of a regulation completely prohibiting discharge from a vessel of any sewage, whether treated or not, into particular waters of the United States or specified portions thereof, which waters are located within the boundaries of such State. Such application shall specify with particularly the waters, or portions thereof, for which a complete prohibition is desired. The application shall include identification of water recreational areas, drinking water intakes, aquatic sanctuaries, identifiable fish-spawning and nursery areas, and areas of intensive boating activities. If, on the basis of the State's application and any other information available to him, the Administrator is unable to make a finding that the waters listed in the application require a complete prohibition of any discharge in the waters or portions thereof covered by the application, he shall state the reasons why he cannot make such a finding, and shall deny the application. If the Administrator makes a finding that the waters listed in the application require a complete prohibition of any discharge in all or any part of the waters or portions thereof covered by the State's application, he shall publish notice of such findings together with a notice of proposed rule making, and then shall proceed in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553. If the Administrator's finding is that applicable water quality standards require a complete prohibition covering a more restricted or more expanded area than that applied for by the State, he shall state the reasons why his finding differs in scope from that requested in the State's application.

(1) For the following waters the discharge from a vessel of any sewage (whether treated or not) is completely prohibited pursuant to CWA section 312(f)(4)(A):

(i) Boundary Waters Canoe Area, formerly designated as the Superior, Little Indian Sioux, and Caribou Roadless Areas, in the Superior National Forest, Minnesota, as described in 16 U.S.C. 577-577d1.

(ii) Waters of the State of Florida within the boundaries of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary as delineated on a map of the Sanctuary at http://www.fknms.nos.noaa.gov/.

(2)

(i) For the marine waters of the State of California, the following vessels are completely prohibited from discharging any sewage (whether treated or not):

(A) A large passenger vessel;

(B) A large oceangoing vessel equipped with a holding tank which has not fully used the holding tank's capacity, or which contains more than de minimis amounts of sewage generated while the vessel was outside of the marine waters of the State of California.

(ii) For purposes of paragraph (b)(2) of this section:

(A) “Marine waters of the State of California” means the territorial sea measured from the baseline as determined in accordance with the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone and extending seaward a distance of three miles, and all enclosed bays and estuaries subject to tidal influences from the Oregon border (41.999325 North Latitude, 124.212110 West Longitude, decimal degrees, NAD 1983) to the Mexican border (32.471231 North Latitude, 117.137814 West Longitude, decimal degrees, NAD 1983). A map illustrating these waters can be obtained from EPA or viewed at http://www.epa.gov/region9/water/no-discharge/overview.html.

(B) A “large passenger vessel” means a passenger vessel, as defined in section 2101(22) of title 46, United States Code, of 300 gross tons or more, as measured under the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969, measurement system in 46 U.S.C. 14302, or the regulatory measurement system of 46 U.S.C. 14502 for vessels not measured under 46 U.S.C. 14302, that has berths or overnight accommodations for passengers.

(C) A “large oceangoing vessel” means a private, commercial, government, or military vessel of 300 gross tons or more, as measured under the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969, measurement system in 46 U.S.C. 14302, or the regulatory measurement system of 46 U.S.C. 14502 for vessels not measured under 46 U.S.C.14302, that is not a large passenger vessel.

(D) A “holding tank” means a tank specifically designed, constructed, and fitted for the retention of treated or untreated sewage, that has been designated and approved by the ship's flag Administration on the ship's stability plan; a designated ballast tank is not a holding tank for this purpose.

(c)

(1) Prohibition pursuant to CWA section 312(f)(4)(B): A State may make written application to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under section 312(f)(4)(B) of the Act for the issuance of a regulation establishing a drinking water intake no discharge zone which completely prohibits discharge from a vessel of any sewage, whether treated or untreated, into that zone in particular waters, or portions thereof, within such State. Such application shall:

(i) Identify and describe exactly and in detail the location of the drinking water supply intake(s) and the community served by the intake(s), including average and maximum expected amounts of inflow;

(ii) Specify and describe exactly and in detail, the waters, or portions thereof, for which a complete prohibition is desired, and where appropriate, average, maximum and low flows in million gallons per day (MGD) or the metric equivalent;

(iii) Include a map, either a USGS topographic quadrant map or a NOAA nautical chart, as applicable, clearly marking by latitude and longitude the waters or portions thereof to be designated a drinking water intake zone; and

(iv) Include a statement of basis justifying the size of the requested drinking water intake zone, for example, identifying areas of intensive boating activities.

(2) If the Administrator finds that a complete prohibition is appropriate under this paragraph, he or she shall publish notice of such finding together with a notice of proposed rulemaking, and then shall proceed in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553. If the Administrator's finding is that a complete prohibition covering a more restricted or more expanded area than that applied for by the State is appropriate, he or she shall also include a statement of the reasons why the finding differs in scope from that requested in the State's application.

(3) If the Administrator finds that a complete prohibition is inappropriate under this paragraph, he or she shall deny the application and state the reasons for such denial.

(4) For the following waters the discharge from a vessel of any sewage, whether treated or not, is completely prohibited pursuant to CWA section 312(f)(4)(B):

(i) Two portions of the Hudson River in New York State, the first is bounded by an east-west line through the most northern confluence of the Mohawk River which will be designated by the Troy-Waterford Bridge (126th Street Bridge) on the south and Lock 2 on the north, and the second of which is bounded on the north by the southern end of Houghtaling Island and on the south by a line between the Village of Roseton on the western shore and Low Point on the eastern shore in the vicinity of Chelsea, as described in Items 2 and 3 of 6 NYCRR Part 858.4.

(ii) [Reserved]

[41 FR 4453, Jan. 29, 1976, as amended at 42 FR 43837, Aug. 31, 1977; 60 FR 63945, Dec. 13, 1995; 63 FR 1320, Jan. 8, 1998; 67 FR 35743, May 21, 2002; 77 FR 11411, Feb. 27, 2012]