EPA Incidental Discharge Permits

[ata]

Hi All:

ATA has been working on a couple of discharge permitting issues. The permit discussed in the press release below involves bilge, greywater, and deckwash and is different than the seafood waste discharge issue that might affect freezer boats this season.

While there is work yet to be done, it looks like there is some good news today on incidental discharge. If this bill passes, there will be another 3 year moratorium as congress makes a decision about the incidental discharge permit requirement.

We have also been working with EPA on new seafood waste discharge requirements that mandate grinders, discharge pipes, and a set of onerous monitoring/reporting regulations for freezer boats. That issue is still up in the air and we await a response from EPA to our objection to their new regulations. As soon as we get any substantive information on this topic, I will post to this webpage.

ATA will continue to work with the state, congressional delegation, and federal agencies to help protect the fleet from any unreasonable new rules.

Dale
ATA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 14, 2010

Sens. Boxer and Murkowski Introduce Bill to Extend Moratorium on Discharge Permits for Commercial Vessels

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-California, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today introduced a bipartisan bill (S. 3372) that would extend the current moratorium on a permit requirement for commercial and charter fishing vessels and other commercial vessels under 79 feet long. The legislation would provide these commercial vessels a three-year moratorium extension from permits for discharges under the Clean Water Act.

Two years ago, in the 110th Congress, bipartisan legislation introduced by Murkowski was enacted to place a two-year moratorium on the permit requirement while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Coast Guard were directed to conduct a study to evaluate the impacts of discharges incidental to the normal operation of such vessels. The results of that study will determine whether and how the discharges should be regulated by EPA through National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.

The two-year moratorium is set to expire on July 31, 2010; however, the results of the study have not been fully analyzed. It is also critical to note that it would be difficult for the EPA to issue the permits by July 31.

Senator Boxer said , “The legislation we are introducing today allows EPA to conduct the analysis needed to ensure that our waters are protected from pollution while minimizing the burden on commercial and charter fishing vessels in California and across the nation.”

Senator Murkowski said, “I am pleased to join with Senator Boxer to introduce this important piece of legislation, and I look forward to working with her and my colleagues to pass this before the current moratorium expires in two months. In Alaska, the 9,700 vessels that make up the commercial and charter fishing fleets would be adversely affected if the moratorium expired. Given the near impossibility of the EPA to have a permit in place by July 31, these vessels would immediately be in violation of the Clean Water Act for an incidental discharge of any kind. It will take the EPA a significant amount of time to analyze its study and determine if these discharges need to be regulated. If so, they then would have to further develop a new permit for these vessels. Given the amount of time all of this would take, it is imperative that we extend the moratorium on a permit requirement as soon as possible.”

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[Carol W]

Dale we will have to keep up on this as I am sure you know Obama blasted the feds and oil companies over drilling offshore yesterday and we don't want to get swept up in that mess.

[ata]

Hi Tom:

Absolutely! And, it's not a done deal yet - the bill has just been submitted, not passed. If anyone is inclined to write a letter in support, please email to me and I'll make sure it gets to the proper place. If you don't know my email address, check the newsletter or send me a personal message.

Thanks...

Dale