[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 144 (Thursday, July 28, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page ]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-18325]


[Federal Register: July 28, 1994]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5021-4]


Draft General NPDES Permit for Seafood Processors in Alaska in 
Waters of the United States: General NPDES Permit No. AK-G52-0000

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10.

ACTION: Notice of Draft General NPDES Permit, and Notice of Finding of 
No Significant Impact.

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SUMMARY: The Director, Water Division, EPA Region 10, is proposing to 
reissue general National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 
permit no. AK-G52-0000 for seafood processors in Alaska pursuant to the 
provisions of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq. The proposed 
general NPDES permit will authorize discharges from offshore, nearshore 
and shore-based vessels and onshore facilities engaged in the 
processing of fresh, frozen, canned, smoked, salted and pickled 
seafoods. The proposed permit will also authorize discharges from 
offshore vessels (operating more than one nautical mile from shore at 
MLLW) that are engaged in the processing of seafood paste, mince or 
meal. The proposed permit will authorize discharges of processing 
wastes, process disinfectants, sanitary wastewater and other 
wastewaters, including domestic wastewater, cooling water, boiler 
water, gray water, freshwater pressure relief water, refrigeration 
condensate, water used to transfer seafood to a facility, and live tank 
water. The proposed permit will authorize discharges to waters of the 
United States in and contiguous to the State of Alaska, except for 
receiving waters excluded from coverage as protected, special, at-risk, 
degraded or adjacent to a designated ``seafood processing center.''
    The proposed general NPDES permit for seafood processors in Alaska 
will not authorize discharges from nearshore or shore-based seafood 
processors of mince, paste or meal (operating one nautical mile or less 
from shore at MLLW). The proposed permit will not authorize discharges 
of petroleum hydrocarbons, toxic pollutants, or other pollutants not 
specified in the permit. The proposed permit will not authorize 
discharges to waters excluded from coverage as protected, special, at-
risk, degraded or adjacent to a designated ``seafood processing 
center.''
    A draft NPDES permit, fact sheet and other documents of the 
administrative record are available upon request.
    PUBLIC NOTICE ISSUANCE DATE: Monday, July 25, 1994.
    PUBLIC NOTICE EXPIRATION DATE: Tuesday, August 23, 1994.
    PUBLIC COMMENTS: Interested persons may submit written comments on 
the draft general NPDES permit to the attention of Burney Hill at the 
address below. All comments should include the name, address, and 
telephone number of the commenter and a concise statement of comment 
and the relevant facts upon which it is based. Comments of either 
support or concern which are directed at specific, cited permit 
requirements are appreciated. Comments must be submitted to EPA on or 
before the expiration date of the public notice.
    After the expiration date of the public notice, the Director, Water 
Division, EPA Region 10, will make a final determination with respect 
to reissuance of the general permit. The tentative requirements 
contained in the draft general permit will become final conditions if 
no substantive comments are received during the public comment period. 
The permit is expected to become effective on November 1, 1994.
    Persons wishing to comment on State Certification of the proposed 
general NPDES permit should submit written comments within this 30-day 
comment period to the State of Alaska, Alaska Department of 
Environmental Conservation (ADEC), 410 Willoughby Avenue, Suite 105, 
Juneau, Alaska 99801-1795. Comments should be addressed to the 
attention of Alaska Water Quality Standards Consistency Review.
    Persons wishing to comment on the State Determination of 
Consistency with the Alaska Coastal Management Program should submit 
written comments within this 30-day comment period, to the State of 
Alaska, Office of Management and Budget, Division of Governmental 
Coordination, P.O. Box AW, Juneau, Alaska 99811-0165. Comments should 
be addressed to the attention of Alaska Coastal Management Program 
Consistency Review.
    Persons wishing to comment on the EPA Finding of No Significant 
Impact (FNSI) (see Attachment 1), based on the environmental 
assessment, should submit written comments within this 30 day period. 
All comments should include the name, address and telephone number of 
the commenter and a concise statement of the basis of any comment and 
the relevant facts upon which it is based. Comments should be submitted 
to Burney Hill at the address below.
    PUBLIC HEARING: Public hearings on the proposed general NPDES 
permit are tentatively scheduled to be held in Anchorage, Alaska, and 
Seattle, Washington. The Anchorage hearing will be held at the Federal 
Building, 222 West Seventh, Anchorage, Alaska, on Thursday, August 25, 
1994, from 6 p.m. until all persons have been heard. Persons interested 
in making a statement at the Anchorage hearing should contact Valerie 
Haney at (907) 271-3651 by 4:00 p.m. PDT by August 22, 1994. The 
Seattle hearing will be held at Freeway Park Plaza Building, Room 12A, 
1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, Washington, on Tuesday, August 30, 1994, 
from 2 p.m. until all persons have been heard. Persons interested in 
making a statement at the Seattle hearing should contact Florence 
Carroll at the address below or at (206) 553-1760 by 4:00 p.m. PDT on 
Friday, August 26, 1994.
    Either or both of the public hearings will be cancelled if 
insufficient interest is expressed in them. Interested persons can 
contact Florence Carroll or Valerie Haney between the hours of 8:30 
a.m. and 4 p.m. PDT to confirm that the hearings will take place. At 
the hearings, interested persons may submit oral or written statements 
concerning the draft general NPDES permit.
    APPEAL OF PERMIT: Within 120 days following the service of notice 
of EPA's final permit decision under 40 CFR Sec. 124.15, any interested 
person may appeal the Permit in the Federal Court of Appeal in 
accordance with Section 509(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act. Persons 
affected by a general permit may not challenge the conditions of the 
the Permit as a right of further EPA proceedings. Instead, they may 
either challenge the Permit in court or apply for an individual NPDES 
permit and then request a formal hearing on the issuance or denial of 
an individual permit.
    ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD: The complete administrative record for the 
draft permit is available for public review at the EPA Region 10 
Library, 10th Floor, at the address listed below. Copies of the draft 
general NPDES permit, fact sheet, and the environmental assessment are 
available upon request from the Region 10 Public Information Center at 
1-800-424-4EPA (4372).

ADDRESSES: Public comments should be sent to: Environmental Protection 
Agency Region 10, Wastewater Management and Enforcement Branch (WD-
137), 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, Washington, 98101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Burney Hill, of EPA Region 10, at the 
address listed above or telephone (206) 553-1761.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    After review of the facts presented in the notice printed above, I 
hereby certify pursuant to the provision of 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this 
general NPDES permit will not have a significant impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. Moreover, the permit reduces a 
significant administrative burden on regulated sources.

    Dated: July 20, 1994.
Janis Hastings,
Associate Director, Water Division.

Attachment 1.--Finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI)

    To All Interested Government Agencies, Public Groups, and 
Individuals:
    In accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
procedures for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), 40 CFR Part 6, Subpart F, EPA has conducted an environmental 
review of the following proposed action:
    Reissuance of general National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 
System (NPDES) permit no. AK-G52-000 to owners and operators of 
facilities engaged in the processing of seafood, both floating and 
onshore facilities, in certain waters of the State of Alaska and 
waters of the United States adjacent to the Alaska State Waters
    The general NPDES permit requirements, including effluent 
limitations, monitoring provisions, and other conditions applicable 
to the operations covered are specified in the proposed permit. The 
permit fact sheet describes the basis for the permit provisions.
    An environmental assessment (EA) for this proposed action has 
been prepared. Under the proposed action, those new source seafood 
processing facilities which are excluded from the general NPDES 
permit will continue to be subject to individual NEPA reviews, 
involving preparation of an EA and, if impacts could be significant, 
an environmental impact statement (EIS).
    Based on the EA, and in accordance with the guidelines for 
determining the significance of federal actions (40 CFR 1508.27) and 
EPA criteria for initiating an EIS (40 CFR 6.605), EPA has concluded 
that reissuance of the General NPDES Permit will not result in a 
significant effect on the human environment. This action will not 
significantly affect land use patterns or population, wetlands or 
floodplains, threatened or endangered species, farmlands, 
ecologically critical areas, historic resources, air quality, water 
quality, noise levels, fish and wildlife resources, nor will it 
conflict with approved local, regional, or state land use plans or 
policies. For the above reasons EPA has determined that an EIS will 
not be prepared. A copy of the EA evaluating the potential impacts 
of the proposed action and explaining why an EIS is not required is 
available upon request by calling (206) 553-1761, or at the above 
address, and is incorporated into this FNSI by reference.
    Comments supporting or disagreeing with this FNSI may be 
submitted to EPA at the above address for consideration. After 
evaluating the comments received, EPA will make a final decision. No 
administrative action will be taken on the proposed reissuance for 
at least 30 days after the release date (indicated above) of this 
FNSI. EPA will fully consider all comments received during this 
public notice period before taking final action.
        Sincerely,
Janice Hastings for Charles E. Findley,
Director, Water Division.
[FR Doc. 94-18325 Filed 7-27-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P