Comment from Kelly Burns

RULE: Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Regulations Revisions. CONTEXT: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been conducting a review of the management plan and regulations for Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary to prohibit wastewater discharges from cruise ships; to update the language referring to tribal welfare considerations when issuing permits; to correct the size of the sanctuary based on new area estimates without revising the sanctuary's actual boundaries; and to update the list of definitions; and update outdated information such as office location. COMMENT: Section 304(e) of the NSMA requires the NOAA to review the management plan to each sanctuary regularly to determine necessary revisions to better protect vulnerable sanctuaries. Furthermore Section 1441 (b)(3) of NSMA delegates to the agency the responsibility to maintain the natural biological communities in the sanctuaries. Therefore, when scientific knowledge of these areas and the need to protect them from degradation comes to light, the regulation, like the understanding needs to change. The new changes regarding the prohibition of the discharge of grey or treated water into the sanctuary is a reasonable one. Though the burden is minimal on passing ships, the benefits to the sanctuary are enormous. By a simple prohibition in limited circumstances in a limited area of space, the regulation could be preventing irreversible degradation of the sensitive area because the water prohibited from discharge may include bacteria, viruses, and detergents. Though it is a step in the right direction, and it is admirable that the agency is attempting to regulate grey water discharge without fully understanding the effects on the sanctuary environment, there may be a potential for further regulation in surrounding areas or buffer zones. It appears on the face that the prohibition is just in the area designated as a sanctuary but because of water currents much