Connecticut Marine Sanitation Device Standard-Notice of Determination

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice of Determination.

SUMMARY:

The Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency—New England Region, has determined that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for the state waters of Branford, East Haven, New Haven, West Haven, Orange, Milford, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield, Westport, Norwalk, Darien, Stamford, and Greenwich. The area also includes the Housatonic River from the Derby Dam and the Quinnipiac River from the southern border of North Haven.

ADDRESSES:

Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copy-righted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are available electronically in http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ann Rodney, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—New England Region, One Congress Street, Suite 1100, COP, Boston, MA 02114-2023. Telephone: (617) 918-0538. Fax number: (617) 918-1505. e-mail address: Rodney.ann@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This Notice of Determination is for the state waters of Branford, East Haven, New Haven, West Haven, Orange, Milford, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield, Westport, Norwalk, Darien, Stamford, and Greenwich. The area also includes the Housatonic River from the Derby Dam and the Quinnipiac River from the southern border of North Haven, Connecticut. The area of designation includes:

The proposed area also includes the navigable reaches of all Connecticut rivers and tidal streams that drain into Long Island Sound within its bounds, including the Housatonic River from the Derby Dam and the Quinnipiac River from the southern border of North Haven.

On February 23, 2007, notice was published that the State of Connecticut 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 state waters of Branford, East Haven, New Haven, West Haven, Orange, Milford, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield, Westport, Norwalk, Darien, Stamford, and Greenwich. The area also includes the Housatonic River from the Derby Dam and the Quinnipiac River from the southern border of North Haven. Nine comments were received on this petition.

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 EPA by the State of Connecticut certifies that there are 43 pumpout facilities located within the proposed area. A list of the facilities, with phone numbers, locations, and hours of operation is appended at the end of this determination.

Based on the examination of the petition and its supporting documentation and information from site visits by EPA New England staff, EPA has determined that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for the area covered under this determination.

This determination is made pursuant to Section 312(f)(3) of Public Law 92-500, as amended by Public laws 95-217 and 100-4.