[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 56 (Monday, March 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13885-13886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7345]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRI-5711-4]
Massachusetts Marine Sanitation Device Standard; Notice of
Determination
On December 6, 1996, notice was published that the State of
Massachusetts had petitioned the Regional Administrator, Environmental
Protection Agency, to determine that adequate facilities for the safe
and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are
reasonably available for the Stage Harbor Complex in the Town of
Chatham, County of Barnstable, State of Massachusetts. The petition was
filed pursuant to Section 312(f)(3) of Public Law 92-500, as amended by
Public Laws 95-217 and 100-4, for the purpose of declaring these waters
a ``No Discharge Area'' (NDA).
Section 312(f)(3) states: After the effective date of the initial
standards and regulations promulgated under this section, if any State
determines that the protection and enhancement of the quality of some
or all of the waters within such States require greater environmental
protection, such State may completely prohibit the discharge from all
vessels of any sewage, whether treated or not, into such waters, except
that no such prohibition shall apply until the Administrator determines
that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and
treatment of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for such
water to which such prohibition would apply.
The information submitted to me by the State of Massachusetts
certified that there are two public pump-out facilities located within
the proposed area to service vessels in Stage Harbor Complex.
The facilities will be self-service with oversight provided by
personnel from the Chatham Harbormaster's office.
The pump-out located at the town owned Old Mill Boatyard (OMBY)
facility is a shore based facility and has a 60 gallon per cycle
capacity with discharge to a 2,000 gallon tight tank. The facility
provides access for vessels up to 50 feet in length and a draft of 5
feet at mean low water. This facility is available daily from June 10
through Labor Day from approximately 0900 to 1700 (9:00 am-5:00 pm).
During the spring and fall the pump-out facility is available by
contacting the Harbormaster's office by phone (508) 945-5185 or VHF
radio channel 16.
The portable pump-out located at Stage Harbor Marine (SHM) has a
225 gallon capacity and is discharged directly to the Chatham Water
Pollution Control Facility for treatment. This unit is accessible via
the fuel dock which provides services to vessels of up to 40 feet and
draft of 6 feet at mean low water. This facility is available daily
from Memorial Day to Thanksgiving from 0800 to 1630 (8:00 am-4:30 pm).
The pump-out may also be available from Thanksgiving to mid-December
and mid-April to Memorial Day, Monday to Friday from 0800 to 1630 (8:00
am-4:30 pm). These dates are variable due to winter. Stage Harbor
Marine can be contacted at (508) 945-1860 or VHF radio channel 9.
In addition to these pump-out facilities, the Stage Harbor Complex
area has six on shore toilet facilities. Four are available to the
public and two are private and restricted to marina patrons and their
guests. The four on shore facilities available to the public are
located at the Stage Harbor Road bathing beach, Barn Hill Road Town
Landing, and the Old Mill Boatyard, and are open from June 21 to
September 1 between the hours of 0800 and 1600 (8:00 am-4:00 pm). The
fourth facility at the Stage Harbor Marina is open to the public but
privately maintained and is open approximately from May 1 until
November.
The waste from the Old Mill Boatyard facility is collected and
stored in the existing, Department of Environmental Protection
approved, 2,000 gallon tigh tank. This tank is fitted with alarms that
activate in time to ensure waste removal long before the capacity is
reached. The town of Chatham has an annual agreement with a licensed
waste hauler and septage is transported to the Chatham Water Pollution
Control Facility for treatment.
The number of mooring permits indicate that 1,161 vessels reside
within the Stage Harbor Complex and 972 are identified as recreational
and 189 are commercial vessels. Stage Harbor Complex is primarily a
``parking lot'' harbor and 90% of the total vessel population is under
25 feet in length, and therefore do not have any type of marine
sanitation device. There are a number of locations in the Complex with
public launching ramps, however, the size and condition of the ramps
and the depth of the water limit use to vessels 25 feet and under. In
addition to
[[Page 13886]]
the vessels that reside in the Complex, there is a transient population
estimated at 110 vessels which have marine sanitation devices.
The resources of the Stage Harbor Complex are recreational and
commercial. One of the Towns most used public bathing beach is located
on Stage Harbor Road at the head of Oyster Pond. The northern tip of
the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge abuts the proposed No Discharge
Area and provides recreational opportunities in addition to its
wildlife role. The Stage Harbor Complex is also used by both
recreational and commercial shell fishermen for the harvest of quahogs,
softshell clams, mussels, oysters, and bay scallops and is the site of
the Towns' only commercial aquaculture operations.
Therefore, based on an examination of the petition and its
supporting information, which included a site visit by EPA New England
staff, I have determined that adequate facilities for the safe and
sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are
reasonably available for the areas covered under this determination
which include Stage Harbor, north of a line drawn across its mouth at
Nantucket Sound, and the following tributaries: Little Mill Pond, Mill
Pond, Mitchell River, Oyster Pond River, and Oyster Pond. The Proposed
area encompasses approximately 620 acres of water-sheet in the
southeast corner of the town of Chatham. The latitude and longitude
defining the boundaries of the Stage Harbor Complex are--Oyster Pond
41 deg.40'84''-069 deg.57'84'', Little Mill Pond 41 deg.40'6''-
069 deg.57'3'', and at the mouth of Stage Harbor 41 deg.39'4''-
069 deg.59'0''. This determination is made pursuant to Section
312(f)(3) of Public Laws 92-500, as amended by Public Law 95-217 and
100-4.
Dated: March 11, 1997.
John P. DeVillars,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-7345 Filed 3-21-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M
