[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 110 (Friday, June 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32329-32331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12224]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA--New England Region I--EPA-R01-OW-2008-0213; FRL-8574-6]


Massachusetts Marine Sanitation Device Standard--Receipt of 
Petition

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice--receipt of petition.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a petition has been received from 
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requesting a determination by the 
Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, that 
adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of 
sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for all Boston Harbor 
waters of the Inner and Outer Harbor and will extend into Massachusetts 
Bay to encompass all of the islands in the Boston Harbor Islands 
National Park Area, including the Brewster Islands and the Graves. It 
will include sections of the Chelsea, Mystic, Charles, Neponset, 
Weymouth Fore, Weymouth Back and Weir Rivers, all of which feed into 
the harbor. The waters of the proposed NDA fall within the 
jurisdictions of Boston, Braintree, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, 
Hingham, Hull, Milton, Newton, Quincy, Watertown, Weymouth, and 
Winthrop.

DATES: July 7, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R01-
OW-2008-0213 by one of the following methods: http://www.regulations.gov, Follow the on-line instructions for submitting 
comments.
    E-mail: [email protected].
    Fax: (617) 918-0538.
    Mail and hand delivery: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency--New 
England Region, One Congress Street, Suite 1100, COP, Boston, MA 02114-
2023. Deliveries are only accepted during the Regional Office's normal 
hours of operation (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays), and special arrangements should be made for deliveries 
of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R01-OW-
2008-0213. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information

[[Page 32330]]

whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information 
that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov, or e-mail. The http://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 http://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.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the http://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 copy-righted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency--New England Region, One Congress Street, Suite 1100, 
COP, Boston, MA 02114-2023. Such deliveries are only accepted during 
the Regional Office's normal hours of operation, and special 
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. The 
Regional Office is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. The telephone number is (617) 918-1538.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann Rodney, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency--New England Region, One Congress Street, Suite 1100, 
COP, Boston, MA 02114-2023. Telephone: (617) 918-1538, Fax number: 
(617) 918-0538; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that a petition has 
been received from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requesting a 
determination by the Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, pursuant to section 312(f)(3) of Public Law 92-500 
as amended by Public Law 95-217 and Public Law 100-4, that adequate 
facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage 
from all vessels are reasonably available for the area within the 
following boundaries:
    The seaward boundary of the NDA is defined by municipal boundaries 
and, where possible, aids to navigation.

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               Waterbody/General area                           Latitude                      Longitude
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Landside Town boundary between Revere and Winthrop..  42[deg] 23' 30'' N..........  70[deg] 58' 50'' W
Offshore town boundary between Nahant, Revere, and    42[deg] 24' 28'' N..........  70[deg] 57' 33'' W
 Winthrop.
Offshore town boundary between Nahant and Winthrop..  42[deg] 23' 13'' N..........  70[deg] 55' 28'' W
Offshore town boundary between Nahant and Winthrop..  42[deg] 23' 04'' N..........  70[deg] 54' 04'' W
Offshore town boundary between Nahant and Winthrop..  42[deg] 23' 32'' N..........  70[deg] 51' 28'' W
Aid to Navigation RW ``BG'' Mo (A), 1.6nm NNE of the  42[deg] 23' 27'' N..........  70[deg] 51' 30'' W
 Graves.
Aid to Navigation G ``5'' Fl G 4s WHISTLE, 0.8nm NE   42[deg] 22' 34'' N..........  70[deg] 51' 29'' W
 of the Graves.
Aid to Navigation R ``2'' Fl R 4s BELL, Three & One-  42[deg] 21' 04'' N..........  70[deg] 50' 31'' W
 Half Fathom Ledge.
Aid to Navigation G ``1'' Q G WHISTLE, Thieves Ledge  42[deg] 19' 32'' N..........  70[deg] 49' 51'' W
Offshore town boundary between Hull and Cohasset....  42[deg] 18' 34'' N..........  70[deg] 47' 25'' W
Landside boundary between Hull and Cohasset.........  42[deg] 15' 54'' N..........  70[deg] 49' 34'' W
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    The landward boundaries of the proposed NDA are:

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               Waterbody/General area                           Latitude                      Longitude
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Saratoga Street bridge between Winthrop and       42[deg] 22' 58'' N..........  70[deg] 59' 40'' W
 Boston.
The railway bridge on the Chelsea River between       42[deg] 24' 06'' N..........  71[deg] 00' 40'' W
 Chelsea and Revere.
The Amelia Earhart Dam on the Mystic River..........  42[deg] 23' 42'' N..........  71[deg] 04' 30'' W
The Watertown Dam on the Charles River..............  42[deg] 21' 55'' N..........  71[deg] 11' 22'' W
The Baker Dam on the Neponset River.................  42[deg] 16' 15'' N..........  71[deg] 04' 08'' W
The Shaw Street bridge on the Weymouth Fore River...  42[deg] 13' 20'' N..........  71[deg] 58' 25'' W
Where Bridge Street crosses the Weymouth Back River   42[deg] 14' 50'' N..........  70[deg] 55' 52'' W
 between Weymouth and Hingham.
Where Nantasket Avenue crosses the Weir River         42[deg] 15' 37'' N..........  70[deg] 50' 41'' W
 between Hingham and Hull.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The proposed NDA boundary includes the municipal waters of Boston, 
Braintree, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Hingham, Hull, Milton, Newton, 
Quincy, Watertown, Weymouth, and Winthrop.
    Massachusetts has provided documentation indicating that the total 
vessel population is estimated to be 8,720 in the proposed area. It is 
estimated that 4,047 of the total vessel population may have a Marine 
Sanitation Device (MSD) of some type. There are marinas, yacht clubs 
and public landings/piers in the proposed area with a combination of 
mooring fields and dock space for the recreational and commercial 
vessels.
    Massachusetts has certified that there are 35 pumpout facilities 
within the proposed area available to the boating community and four 
additional facilities pending. The majority of facilities are connected 
directly into the local wastewater treatment system. A list of the 
facilities, phone numbers, locations, and hours of operation is 
provided at the end of this petition.
    Boston Harbor is rich in natural resources and includes the Boston 
Harbor Islands National Park Area, four state-recognized Areas of 
Critical Environmental Concern (Rumney

[[Page 32331]]

Marshes, Neponset River Estuary, Weir River Estuary, and Weymouth Back 
River), and numerous local parks and beaches. Boston Harbor has 
eelgrass beds, salt marshes, estuaries and mud flats that provide 
suitable habitat for blue mussels, razor clams, soft shell clams, 
lobsters, coastal and pelagic birds (including 5 listed species), 
striped bass, smelt, alewives and herring. The area supports over 300 
migratory bird species. In addition to the natural resources, the area 
has regional and national attractions such as the Children's Museum, 
New England Aquarium, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the USS Constitution, 
Navy Yard Historical Park, and many other attractions that bring an 
estimated 16 million visitors per year.

                              Pumpout Facilities Within Proposed No Discharge Area
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                                                              Contact                           Mean low  water
              Name                      Location            information           Hours           depth  (ft)
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Boston Harbor Shipyard and       Boston...............  (617) 561-1400,     7 a.m.-8 p.m., On  25 ft.
 Marina.                                                 VHF 9.              call.             N/A.
The Marina at Rowes Wharf......  Boston...............  (617) 439-3131,     8 a.m.-4 p.m.,     10 ft.
                                                         VHF 9.              May 1-Oct. 31.
Boston Waterboat Marina........  Boston...............  (617) 523-1027,     7 a.m.-7 p.m.,     5 ft to 25 ft.
                                                         VHF 9.              Call ahead.       N/A.
Boston Yacht Haven.............  Boston...............  (617) 367-5050,     8 a.m.-7 p.m.....  10 ft.
                                                         VHF 9.
Black Falcon Pier..............  Boston...............  (617) 946-4417....  9 a.m.-5 p.m.....  35 ft.
Boston Harbor Cruises **.......  Boston...............  (617) 227-4321....  6:30 a.m.-8:30     22 ft.
                                                                             p.m. (weekdays),
                                                                             10 a.m.-6:30
                                                                             p.m. (weekends).
Boston Towing & Transportation.  Boston...............  (617) 567-9100....  24/7.............  N/A.
City of Boston *...............  Boston...............  TBD...............  TBD..............  N/A.
Berth 10 *.....................  Boston...............  (617) 918-6203....  TBD                .................
Mass Bays Lines **.............  Boston...............  (617) 542-8000.
Charles River Yacht Club.......  Cambridge............  (617) 354-8881,     8 a.m.-8 p.m.....  N/A.
                                                         VHF 9.
Charles Riverboat Company **...  Cambridge............  (617) 621-3001.
Constitution Marina............  Charlestown..........  (617) 241-9818,     9 a.m.-8 p.m.      30 ft.
                                                         VHF 69.             (summer), 9 a.m.- N/A.
                                                                             5 p.m. (winter).
Mystic Marine..................  Charlestown..........  (617) 293-6247,     7 a.m.-7 p.m.      35 ft.
                                                         VHF 72.             (Mon-Fri).        35 ft.
Shipyard Quarters Marina.......  Charlestown..........  (617) 242-2020,     8 a.m.-7 p.m.....  20 ft.
                                                         VHF 7, 9, 16.                         N/A.
Charlestown Pier 4.............  Charlestown..........  (617) 918-6231....  Appointment Only.  30 ft.
Charlestown Pier 3 *...........  Charlestown..........  (617) 918-6201....  TBD.
Constellation Tug **...........  Charlestown..........  (617) 561-0223....  24/7.............  N/A.
Marine at Admirals Hill........  Chelsea..............  (617) 889-4002,     8 a.m.-5 p.m.....  6 ft.
                                                         VHF 9, 10.
Dorchester Yacht Club..........  Dorchester...........  (617) 436-1002,     8 a.m.-6 p.m.....  7 ft.
                                                         VHF 9.
Port Norfolk Yacht Club........  Dorchester...........  (617) 822-3333,     24/7, self-        7.5 ft.
                                                         VHF 9, 11.          service.
Town of Hingham................  Hingham..............  (781) 741-1450,     3 p.m.-7 p.m.      N/A.
                                                         VHF 12, 16.         (Tue, Thurs, Sat
                                                                             & Sun).
Town of Hull...................  Hull.................  (781) 925-0316,     8 a.m.-4 p.m.....  N/A.
                                                         VHF 9, 16.                            *TBD.
Quincy Bay.....................  Quincy...............  (617) 908-9757,     8 a.m.-4 p.m.      N/A.
                                                         VHF 9.              (weekend), High-
                                                                             tide (weekday).
Bay Pointe Marina..............  Quincy...............  (617) 471-1777,     Call ahead.......  8 ft.
                                                         VHF 9.
Captain's Cove Marina..........  Quincy...............  (617) 328-3331,     24/7.............  6 ft.
                                                         VHF 69.
Marina Bay on Boston Harbor....  Quincy...............  (617) 847-1800,     7:30 a.m.-8 p.m..  N/A.
                                                         VHF 10.
Town River Yacht Club..........  Quincy...............  (617) 471-2716,     Call ahead.......  35 ft.
                                                         VHF 71.
Harbor Express **..............  Quincy...............  (617) 542-8000.
Watertown Yacht Club...........  Watertown............  (617) 924-9848....  8 a.m.-4 p.m.      6 ft.
                                                                             (Tue-Thur, Sat),
                                                                             11 a.m.-7 p.m.
                                                                             (Fri).
Wessagussett Yacht Club........  Weymouth.............  VHF 71............  6 a.m.-8 p.m.      8 ft.
                                                                             (Mon-Fri), 9
                                                                             a.m.-9 p.m. (Sat-
                                                                             Sun).
Town of Winthrop...............  Winthrop.............  (617) 839-4000,     10 a.m.-8 p.m....  N/A.
                                                         VHF 9, 16.                            8 to 30 ft.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* = Pending facilities.
** = Private commercial facilities.


    Dated: May 23, 2008.
Robert W. Varney,
Regional Administrator, New England Region.
[FR Doc. E8-12224 Filed 6-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P