[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46390-46391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22044]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6428-2]
City of Key West No Discharge Zone Determination
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 Regional
Administrator concurs with the determinations of the State of Florida
that adequate and reasonably available pumpout facilities exist around
the waters (out to 600 feet from shore) of the Island of Key West. A
petition was received from the State of Florida requesting a
determination by the Regional Administrator, EPA, pursuant to section
312(f)(3) of Public Law 92-500 as amended by Public Law 95-217 and
Public Law 100-4, that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary
removal of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for the
waters around the City of Key West to qualify as a No Discharge Zone.
This action is taken under section 312 (f)(3) of the Clean Water
Act which 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.
EPA's action allows prohibition regarding discharge from vessels to
be applied by the State of Florida for the City of Key West. EPA found
the following existing facilities available for pumping out vessel
holding tanks in the City of Key West. Their address, telephone number,
hours of operation and draft are as follows:
A. Galleon Marina; 619 Front Street, Key West, Florida 33040; 305-292-
1292; 8 AM-6 PM 7 days/week; 45' draft.
B. Historic Seaport at Key West Bight; 201 William Street, Key West,
Florida 33040; 305-293-8309; 7 AM-7 PM (summer) 7 AM-5 PM (winter) 7
days /week; 12' draft.
C. Key West Conch Harbor; 951 Caroline Street, Key West, Florida 33040;
305-294-2933; 6 AM-Sunset 7 days/week; 10' draft.
D. Garrison Bight Marina; Garrison Bight Causeway, Key West, Florida
33040; 305-292-8167; 24 hours/day 7 days/week; 7' draft; mobile pumpout
barge operated 8 AM-5 PM Monday through Saturday; 1' draft.
E. Sunset Marina; 5555 College Road, Stock Island, Key West, Florida
33040; 305-296-7101; 7 AM-8 PM daily; 6.5' draft.
Additional pumpout facilities are being installed at several other
marinas within city limits. The facilities at A & B Marina are
scheduled for completion by September 1, 1999. The Key West Yacht Club
is currently seeking permits for a pumpout facility. The Historic
Seaport at Key West Bight has budgeted
[[Page 46391]]
funds for installation of dockside pumpouts for charterboats within the
next fiscal year.
All of the vessel pumpout facilities that are in use within Key
West City limits discharge directly into the collection system that
delivers waste to the central waste treatment facility for Key West,
otherwise known as the Richard Heyman Environmental Protection
Facility. The plant achieves a secondary level of waste treatment and
currently discharges the treated effluent into nearshore waters off
Fort Zachary Taylor State Beach. However, the City is currently
retrofitting the plant to achieve a level of advanced wastewater
treatment and will be replacing the ocean outfall with deep injection
wells. Currently, the City collection system is being rebuilt at a cost
of several million dollars. Both the collection system improvements and
the replacement of the outfall with deep injection wells will be
completed within a few years pursuant to the provisions of a consent
judgment with the State of Florida. The City has entered into an
agreement with Reef Relief and Last Stand, two environmental
organizations, to treat the effluent being injected to a level of
advanced wastewater treatment to remove the nutrients prior to
injection.
Thus all wastewater collected at the vessel pumpout facilities will
be treated to meet existing standards for secondary treatment and will
eventually meet the higher standard of advanced wastewater treatment.
This action is being taken in consideration of the need to reduce
nutrient loading to nearshore waters.
The number of boats with marine sanitation devices (MSD) varies
seasonally. According to Key West marina operators, approximately 628
boats with heads is a reasonable average. Therefore, the ratio of boats
with MSDs to pumpout facilities is 126 boats per pumpout facility, plus
a mobile pumpout service.
Comments concerning this action may be filed on or before September
24, 1999. Such communications should be addressed to Wesley B. Crum,
Chief, Coastal and Nonpoint Source Programs Section, USEPA, Region 4,
Sam Nunn Federal Center, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-
3104. Telephone 404-562-9352.
John H. Hankinson, Jr.,
Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 99-22044 Filed 8-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
