[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 233 (Monday, December 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75698-75699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30805]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6911-1]


Notice of Availability of Guidance for Controlling Nonpoint 
Source Pollution From Marinas and Recreational Boating and Request for 
Comments

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA has developed and is requesting comments on draft 
technical guidance for managing sources of nonpoint pollution at 
marinas and recreational boating facilities. This guidance is intended 
to provide technical assistance to state program managers and others on 
the best available, economically achievable means of reducing nonpoint 
pollution of surface and ground water from marinas and recreational 
boating activity. The guidance provides background information about 
nonpoint source pollution, where it comes from, and how it enters the 
nation's waters; discusses the broad concepts of assessing and 
addressing water quality problems on a watershed level; and presents 
up-to-date technical information about how to prevent and reduce 
nonpoint source pollution from marinas and recreational boating.
    Reviewers should note that the draft technical guidance is entirely 
consistent with the Guidance Specifying Management Measures for Sources 
of Nonpoint Pollution in Coastal Waters, which EPA published in January 
1993 under section 6217(g) of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization 
Amendments of 1990 (CZARA). The draft document does not supplant or 
replace the requirements of the 1993 document. It enhances the 
technical information contained in the 1993 coastal guidance to include 
inland as well as coastal context and to provide updated technical 
information based on current understanding and implementation of best 
management practices. It does not set new or additional standards for 
either CZARA section 6217 or Clean Water Act section 319 programs.
    EPA will consider comments on this draft guidance and will then 
publish final guidance.

DATES: Written comments must be postmarked no later than March 5, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be addressed to Edwin F. Drabkowski, 
Assessments and Watershed Protection Division (4503-F), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460;

[[Page 75699]]

or electronically mailed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons requesting additional 
information or a complete draft of the document should contact Ed 
Drabkowski at (202) 260-7009; [email protected]; or the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (4503-F), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20460. The complete text of the draft guidance is 
also available on EPA's Internet site on the Nonpoint Source Control 
Branch homepage http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/new.html>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In recent years, state, territory, and tribal water quality 
assessments have identified nonpoint source (NPS) pollution as the most 
significant cause of degradation in surveyed waters nationwide. In 
1987, Congress enacted section 319 of the Clean Water Act to establish 
a national program to control nonpoint sources of water pollution. 
Under section 319, states, territories, and tribes address NPS 
pollution by assessing the NPS pollution problems within the state, 
territory, or tribal lands, identifying the sources of pollution, and 
implementing management programs to control the NPS pollution. Section 
319 also authorizes EPA to award grants to states and tribes to assist 
them in implementing management programs which have been approved by 
EPA. Program implementation includes non-regulatory and regulatory 
programs, technical assistance, financial assistance, education, 
training, technology transfer, and demonstration projects. In fiscal 
year 2000, Congress appropriated and EPA awarded $200 million dollars 
for nonpoint source management program grants. EPA has awarded a total 
of $1 billion under section 319 to states, territories, and Indian 
tribes since 1990.
    In 1993, under the authority of section 6217(g) of the Coastal Zone 
Act Reauthorization Amendments, EPA issued Guidance Specifying 
Management Measures for Sources of Nonpoint Pollution in Coastal Waters 
(EPA840-B-92-002). That guidance document details management measures 
appropriate for the control of five sources of nonpoint pollution in 
the coastal zone: agriculture, forestry, urban areas, marinas and 
recreational boating, and hydromodification. The document also includes 
management measures for wetlands, riparian areas, and vegetated 
treatment systems, as they are important to the abatement of nonpoint 
source pollution in coastal waters. State and territory Coastal 
Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs were required to adopt measures 
``in conformity'' with the coastal management measures guidance.
    The 1993 management measures guidance focused on conditions and 
examples of management measure implementation for the coastal zone. To 
date, technical guidance on the best available, economically achievable 
measures for controlling nonpoint sources with a national scope has not 
been released. The draft national management measures guidance is 
intended to address this gap. While the practices detailed in the 1993 
guidance generally apply to inland waters, EPA has recognized the 
utility of developing and publishing a technical guidance document that 
explicitly addresses nonpoint source pollution on a nationwide basis. 
Moreover, additional data and examples from inland marinas and 
recreational boating facilities are available to enrich the national 
guidance. These additional data have helped to prompt the revision and 
expansion of the marinas and recreational boating chapter of the 1993 
guidance.

II. Scope of the Draft Guidance--Sources of Marinas and 
Recreational Boating Nonpoint Pollution Addressed

    The draft technical guidance continues to focus on the most 
significant potential sources of pollution from marinas and 
recreational boating which were originally identified in the 1993 
coastal guidance by EPA in consultation with a number of other federal 
agencies and leading national experts, including several experts from 
national marina associations and state Sea Grant Universities. 
Specifically, the guidance provides management measures for the 
following:
    1. Marina flushing;
    2. Water quality assessment;
    3. Habitat assessment;
    4. Shoreline stabilization;
    5. Storm water runoff;
    6. Fueling station design;
    7. Petroleum control;
    8. Liquid material management;
    9. Solid waste management;
    10. Fish waste management;
    11. Sewage facility management
    12. Maintenance of sewage facilities;
    13. Boat cleaning;
    14. Boat operation; and
    15. Public education.

III. Approach Used to Develop Guidance

    The draft national management measures guidance is based in large 
part on the 1993 coastal guidance. The 1993 coastal guidance was 
developed using a workgroup approach to draw upon technical expertise 
within other federal agencies as well as state water quality and 
coastal zone management agencies.
    The 1993 text has been expanded to include more information on 
marinas and recreational boating management practices, including boat 
launching ramps. The draft guidance also incorporates examples and data 
from inland marinas in addition to improving the coverage of unique 
coastal environments. The document expands the information on 
operations and the costs of management measures at marina facilities.
    None of the management measures from the 1993 document has been 
altered in substance. However, some editing was done on the management 
measure for shoreline stabilization and the order of some measures were 
rearranged.

IV. Request for Comments

    EPA is soliciting comments on the draft guidance on management 
measures to control sources of nonpoint pollution at marinas and 
recreational boating facilities. The Agency is soliciting additional 
information and supporting data on the measures specified in this 
guidance and on additional measures that may be as effective or more 
effective in controlling nonpoint source pollution at marinas and 
recreational boating facilities.

    Dated: November 22, 2000.
J. Charles Fox,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 00-30805 Filed 12-1-00; 8:45 am]
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