[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 244 (Thursday, December 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72353-72355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-24737]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2007-1156; FRL-8509-1]


Draft Cruise Ship Discharge Assessment Report

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA announces the availability of the Draft Cruise Ship 
Discharge Assessment Report (Draft Report), which assesses five cruise 
ship waste streams, specifically, sewage, graywater, bilge water, solid 
waste, and hazardous waste. EPA prepared the Draft Cruise Ship 
Discharge Assessment Report as part of its response to a petition 
submitted by the Bluewater Network on behalf of a number of 
environmental advocacy organizations. EPA invites public comment on its 
assessment, as well as input on options, alternatives, and 
recommendations on whether and how to better control and regulate these 
waste streams. EPA intends to use this public input to help identify a 
range of alternatives for these waste streams when it completes the 
Cruise Ship Discharge Assessment Report.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 4, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2007-1156, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Mail: Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West, Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20004, Attention 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2007-1156. Such deliveries are only accepted 
during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements 
should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

[[Page 72354]]

    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2007-
1156. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov. The 
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which 
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you 
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment 
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your e-mail 
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the 
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such 
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Water Docket, EPA/DC, EPA 
West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The 
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public 
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Water 
Docket is (202) 566-2426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Kim, Oceans and Coastal 
Protection Division, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, 
(4504T), U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 566-1270; fax number: (202) 566-1546; e-mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Interested Entities

    Entities potentially interested in today's notice are those who are 
interested in or addressing cruise ship waste streams. Categories and 
entities interested in today's notice include:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Category                  Examples of interested entities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Government................  U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic
                                     and Atmospheric Administration,
                                     U.S. Department of Justice.
State/Local/Tribal Government.....  Governments interested in or
                                     addressing cruise ship waste
                                     streams.
Industry and General Public.......  Cruise industry, environmental
                                     interest groups.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This table is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide for readers regarding entities likely to be interested in this 
notice. This table lists the types of entities that EPA is now aware 
could potentially be interested in this notice. Other types of entities 
not listed in the table could also be interested.

B. How Can I Get Copies of This Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Document Electronic Access. To obtain a copy of the Draft Report 
entitled Draft Cruise Ship Discharge Assessment Report, please access 
our Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/cruise_ships/disch_assess.html.
    2. Federal Register Docket. EPA has established a public docket for 
this notice under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2007-1156. The public docket 
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this notice and 
other information related to this notice. The public docket does not 
include information claimed as Confidential Business Information (CBI) 
or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
through www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Water Docket in the 
EPA Docket Center.
    3. Federal Register Electronic Access. You may access this Federal 
Register document electronically through the EPA Internet under the 
Federal Register listings at: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit My Comments?

    Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2007-1156. EPA's 
policy is that all comments received will be included in the public 
docket without change and may be made available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov. The 
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which 
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you 
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment 
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your e-mail 
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the 
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2007-
1156, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].

[[Page 72355]]

     Mail: Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West, Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20004, Attention 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2007-1156. Such deliveries are only accepted 
during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements 
should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

D. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find these suggestions helpful for preparing your comments:
    1. Explain your comments as clearly as possible.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide any technical information and/or data you used that 
support your comments.
    4. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
    5. Offer alternatives.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the time period deadline 
identified.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the appropriate docket 
identification number in the subject line on the first page of your 
response. It would also be helpful if you provided the name, date, and 
Federal Register citation related to your comments.
    EPA specifically requests comment and public input on the 
following:
    1. Sewage Discharges. Should sewage discharges from cruise ships be 
better controlled and regulated? If so, why? If such discharges should 
be better controlled and/or regulated, please recommend one or more 
such options (and identify your preferred recommendation), as well as 
any option or options relating to sampling, monitoring, and reporting 
of sewage discharges.
    2. Graywater Discharges. Should graywater discharges from cruise 
ships be better controlled and regulated? If so, why? If such 
discharges should be better controlled and/or regulated, please 
recommend one or more such options and identify your preferred 
recommendation. Should EPA more narrowly define graywater? If so, why? 
If the term should be more narrowly defined, please recommend an option 
or options, and identify your preferred recommendation.
    3. Hazardous Wastes. Should hazardous wastes generated on cruise 
ships be better managed and regulated? If so, why? If such discharges 
should be better managed and/or regulated, please recommend one or more 
such options, and identify your preferred recommendation.
    4. Solid Wastes. Should solid wastes generated on cruise ships be 
better managed and regulated? If so, why? If such discharges should be 
better controlled and/or regulated, please recommend one or more such 
options, and identify your preferred recommendation. With regard to the 
incineration of some solid wastes generated on cruise ships, EPA 
invites specific comment regarding the sampling and/or testing of 
incinerator ash.
    5. Oily Bilge Water. Should oily bilge water generated on and 
discharged from cruise ships be better controlled and regulated? If so, 
why? If such discharges should be better controlled and/or regulated, 
please recommend one or more such options, and identify your preferred 
recommendation.

II. Background

    Cruise ships operate in every ocean worldwide, often in pristine 
coastal waters and sensitive marine ecosystems. Cruise ship operators 
provide amenities to their passengers that are similar to those of 
luxury resort hotels, including pools, hair salons, restaurants, and 
dry cleaners. As a result, cruise ships have the potential to generate 
wastes similar in volume and character to those generated by hotels.
    In March 2000, an environmental advocacy group called the Bluewater 
Network, representing 53 environmental organizations, submitted a 
petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting 
that EPA identify and take regulatory action on measures to address 
pollution by cruise ships. Specifically, the petition requested an in-
depth assessment of the volumes and characteristics of cruise ship 
waste streams; analysis of their potential impact on water quality, the 
marine environment, and human health; examination of existing federal 
regulations governing cruise ship waste streams; and formulation of 
recommendations on how to better control and regulate these waste 
streams. The petition included specific requests related to sewage, 
graywater, oily bilge water, solid wastes, and hazardous wastes, as 
well as monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. In addition, the 
petition requested that EPA prepare a report of its investigations and 
findings.
    This Draft Cruise Ship Discharge Assessment Report responds in part 
to the petition from Bluewater Network. The Draft Report assesses five 
primary cruise ship waste streams, specifically, sewage, graywater, 
bilge water, solid waste, and hazardous waste. For each waste stream, 
the Draft Report discusses (1) the nature and volume of the waste 
stream generated; (2) existing federal regulations applicable to the 
waste stream; (3) environmental management, including treatment, of the 
waste stream; (4) potential adverse environmental impacts of the waste 
stream; and (5) actions by the federal government to address the waste 
stream.

III. This Action

    EPA invites and requests comments on all aspects of the Draft 
Report. In addition, EPA invites and requests public input on options, 
alternatives, and recommendations on whether and how to better control 
and regulate these waste streams (see section I.C. for information 
regarding how to submit comments). When EPA completes the Cruise Ship 
Discharge Assessment Report after consideration of public comment, EPA 
plans to identify a range of options and alternatives to address these 
waste streams. EPA anticipates issuance of the completed Report by the 
end of 2008 and would publish a notice of availability of the Report at 
that time.

    Dated: December 14, 2007.
Benjamin H. Grumbles,
Assistant Administrator for Water.
[FR Doc. E7-24737 Filed 12-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P