[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 4 (Thursday, January 7, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 952-953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-31407]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

15 CFR Part 922


Draft Marine Sanitation Device Discharge Regulations for the 
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that NOAA has scheduled three 
public meetings to obtain comments on the proposed rule, issued on 
November 16, 2009 (74 FR 58923), to amend the regulations implementing 
the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS or sanctuary) to 
eliminate the exemption that allows discharges of biodegradable 
effluent incidental to vessel use and generated by marine sanitation 
devices, and to require marine sanitation devices be locked to prevent 
discharges into the sanctuary.

DATES: Three meetings will be held where the public will have 
opportunities to ask questions about the proposed rule to amend the 
vessel discharge regulations and provide formal comments. The meetings 
will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the following dates and at 
the indicated locations:
     January 21, 2010: Marathon Garden Club, 5270 Overseas Hwy 
(Mile Marker 50), Marathon, FL 33050.
     January 25, 2010: Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, 35 
East Quay Road, Key West, FL 33040.
     January 27, 2010: Islamorada Public Library, Mile Marker 
81.5 Bayside, Islamorada, FL 33036.

ADDRESSES: The proposed rule is available on the FKNMS Web site http://floridakeys.noaa.gov. NOAA is currently accepting comments on the 
proposed rule if they are received by February 17, 2010. Please see the 
proposed rule for further details and instructions on submitting 
written comments on the proposed rule.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sean Morton, Acting Superintendent, 
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; 33 East Quay Road, Key West, FL 
33040; (305) 809-4770.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Sanctuary Background

    The FKNMS was designated by Congress in 1990 through the Florida 
Keys National Marine Sanctuary Protection Act (FKNMSPA, Pub. L. 101-
605) and extends approximately 220 nautical miles southwest from the 
southern tip of the Florida peninsula, and is composed of both State 
and Federal waters. The sanctuary's marine ecosystem supports over 
6,000 species of plants, fishes, and invertebrates, including the 
Nation's only living coral reef that lies adjacent to the continent. 
The area includes one of the largest seagrass communities in this 
hemisphere. The primary goal of the sanctuary is to protect the marine 
resources of the Florida Keys. Other goals of the sanctuary include 
facilitating human uses that are consistent with the primary objective 
of resource protection as well as educating the public about the 
Florida Keys marine environment. Attracted by this subtropical 
diversity, tourists spend more than thirteen million visitor days in 
the Florida Keys each year. In addition, the region provides recreation 
and livelihoods for approximately 80,000 residents.

Location and Size of Resource Management

    FKNMS is 2,900 square nautical miles of coastal waters, including 
the 2001 addition of the Tortugas Ecological

[[Page 953]]

Reserve. The sanctuary overlaps four national wildlife refuges, six 
State parks, three State aquatic preserves and incorporates two of the 
earliest national marine sanctuaries to be designated, Key Largo and 
Looe Key National Marine Sanctuaries. Three national parks have 
separate jurisdictions, and share a boundary with the sanctuary. The 
region also has some of the most significant maritime heritage and 
historical resources of any coastal community in the nation.

Proposed Regulatory Amendment

    On November 16, 2009, NOAA issued a proposed rule to amend the 
FKNMS regulations to eliminate the exemption that allows discharges of 
biodegradable effluent incidental to vessel use and generated by marine 
sanitation devices, and to require marine sanitation devices be locked 
to prevent discharges (74 FR 58923). The meetings described in the 
DATES section above are intended to provide the public with additional 
opportunities to ask questions and provide formal comment about this 
proposed regulation. Written comments will be collected on note cards 
and verbal comments will be recorded and transcribed.

    Dated: December 29, 2009.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. E9-31407 Filed 1-6-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-M