On December 18, 2008, the USEPA announced that a new general permit (in effect starting today) will be required for twenty-six types of discharges from vessels operating in the waters of the United States. By the USEPA’s estimate, this will affect roughly 69,000 vessels. The permit requirement covers non-recreational vessels seventy-nine (79) feet in length or longer (but excludes fishing vessels of any length). The new permit requirement incorporates the Coast Guard’s mandatory ballast water management and exchange standards, and provides technology-based and water-quality-based effluent limits for other types of discharges, including deck runoff from rain or cleaning, ballast water used to stabilize ships and “gray water” from showers, sinks and laundry machines. It also establishes specific corrective actions, inspections and monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
Additional information on the permits is available at http://www.epa.gov/npdes/vessels.
More later.
As always, feel free to contact me by e-mail with any questions at walter.james@jamespllc.com.
WDJiii
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