Vessel Incidental Discharge National Standards of Performance

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 139</CFR> <DEPDOC>EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0482; FRL-7218-01-OW</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2040-AF92</RIN> <SUBJECT>Vessel Incidental Discharge National Standards of Performance</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promulgating a regulation under the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act that establishes Federal standards of performance for marine pollution control devices for discharges incidental to the normal operation of primarily non-Armed Forces and non-recreational vessels 79 feet in length and above into the waters of the United States or the waters of the contiguous zone. The Federal standards of performance were developed in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and in consultation with interested Governors. The final standards, once made final, effective, and enforceable through corresponding USCG regulations addressing implementation, compliance, and enforcement, will control the discharge of pollutants from vessels described above and repeal certain existing Federal, State, and local vessel discharge requirements, thus streamlining regulation of such vessel incidental discharges. EPA is also promulgating procedures states must follow if they choose to petition EPA to require the use of an emergency best management practice to address aquatic nuisance species (ANS) or water quality concerns (“emergency order”), to review any standard of performance, regulation, or policy, to request additional requirements with respect to discharges in the Great Lakes, or to apply to EPA to prohibit one or more types of vessel discharges regulated by this rule into specified waters to provide greater environmental protection. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> The effective date of this rule is November 8, 2024. The Federal standards of performance, however, become effective beginning on the date upon which the regulations promulgated by the Secretary pursuant to CWA section 312(p)(5) governing the implementation, compliance, and enforcement of the Federal standards of performance become final, effective, and enforceable. Per CWA section 312(p)(3)(c), as of that date, the requirements of the VGP and all regulations promulgated by the Secretary pursuant to section 1101 of the NANPCA (16 U.S.C. 4711) (as in effect on December 3, 2018), including the regulations contained in subparts C and D of 33 CFR part 151 and 46 CFR 162.060 (as in effect on December 3, 2018), shall be deemed repealed and have no force or effect. Similarly, as of that same date, any CWA section 401 certification requirement in Part 6 of the VGP, shall be deemed repealed and have no force or effect. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> EPA established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0482. All documents in the docket are listed on the <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> website. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, <E T="03">e.g.,</E> Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available electronically through <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov.</E> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Jack Faulk, Oceans, Wetlands, and Communities Division, Office of Water (4504T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-0768; email address: <E T="03">faulk.jack@epa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> This supplementary information is organized as follows: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Legal Authority</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Clean Water Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Additional U.S. and International Authorities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Environmental Impacts of Discharges for Which Technology-Based Discharge Standards Are Established by This Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Nutrients</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Pathogens</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Oil and Grease</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">5. Metals</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">6. Other Pollutants</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Scope of the Regulatory Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Waters</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Vessels</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Incidental Discharges</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Emergency and Safety Concerns</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Effective Date</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Stakeholder Engagement</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Informational Webinars and Public Listening Sessions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Consultation and Coordination With States</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Federalism Consultation and Governors Consultation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Governor Objections</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Public Comments Received and Agency Responses</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Definitions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VIII. Final Federal Discharge Standards of Performance</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Discharges Incidental to the Normal Operation of a Vessel—General Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. General Operation and Maintenance</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Biofouling Management</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Oil Management</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Discharges Incidental to the Normal Operation of a Vessel—Specific Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Ballast Tanks</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Bilges</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Boilers</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Cathodic Protection</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">5. Chain Lockers</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">6. Decks</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">7. Desalination and Purification Systems</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">8. Elevator Pits</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">9. Exhaust Gas Emission Control Systems</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">10. Fire Protection Equipment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">11. Gas Turbines</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">12. Graywater Systems</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">13. Hulls and Associated Niche Areas</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">14. Inert Gas Systems</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">15. Motor Gasoline and Compensating Systems</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">16. Non-Oily Machinery</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">17. Pools and Spas</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">18. Refrigeration and Air Conditioning</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">19. Seawater Piping</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">20. Sonar Domes</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Discharges Incidental to the Normal Operation of a Vessel—Federally-Protected Waters Requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Identification of Federally-Protected Waters</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Discharge-Specific Requirements in Federally-Protected Waters</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Discharges Incidental to the Normal Operation of a Vessel—Previous VGP Discharges No Longer Requiring Control</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IX. Procedures for States To Request Changes to Standards, Regulations, or Policy Promulgated by the Administrator</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Petition by a Governor for the Administrator To Establish an Emergency Order or Review a Standard, Regulation, or Policy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Petition by a Governor for the Administrator To Establish Enhanced Great Lakes System Requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Application by a State for the Administrator To Establish a State No-Discharge Zone</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">X. Implementation, Compliance, and Enforcement</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">XI. Economic Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">XII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive Order 14094: Modernizing Regulatory Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2"> F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health and Safety Risks</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Concern Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, and Use</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations and Executive Order 14096: Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Congressional Review Act (CRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">XIII. References</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Executive Summary</HD> Discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel, as defined in 33 U.S.C. 1322(a)(12), are referred to as “incidental discharges” or “discharges” in this publication for convenience. Incidental discharges contain pollutants that can adversely impact aquatic ecosystems and human health. Pollutants that may be found in these discharges include aquatic nuisance species (ANS), nutrients, bacteria or pathogens ( <E T="03">e.g., Escherichia coli</E> and fecal coliform), oil and grease, metals, as well as other toxic, nonconventional, and conventional pollutants (biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), pH, fecal coliform, and oil and grease). These pollutants can have wide-ranging environmental and human health consequences that vary in degree depending on the ty ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 687k characters. 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