[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36533-36534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14919]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-R01-OW-2012-0201, FRL-9688-9]


Massachusetts Marine Sanitation Device Standard--Notice of 
Determination

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Determination.

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SUMMARY: The Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency--New England Region, has determined that adequate facilities for 
the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels 
are reasonably available for the waters of Dighton, Berkley, Freetown, 
Somerset, Swansea, and Fall River collectively termed Mount Hope Bay.

[[Page 36534]]


ADDRESSES: 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 electronically in 
www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann Rodney, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency--New England Region, Office of Ecosystem Protection, 
Oceans and Coastal Protection Unit, Five Post Office Square, Suite 100, 
OEP06-1, Boston, MA 02109-3912. Telephone: (617) 918-1538. Fax number: 
(617) 918-0538. Email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 19, 2012, EPA published a notice 
that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts had petitioned the Regional 
Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, to determine that 
adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of 
sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for the waters of 
Mount Hope Bay. Twelve comments were received on this petition, all 
commentors endorsed the designation.
    The petition was filed pursuant to Section 312(f)(3) of Public Law 
92-500, as amended by Public Laws 95-217 and 100-4, for the purpose of 
declaring these waters a No Discharge Area (NDA).
    Section 312(f)(3) states: After the effective date of the initial 
standards and regulations promulgated under this section, if any State 
determines that the protection and enhancement of the quality of some 
or all of the waters within such State require greater environmental 
protection, such State may completely prohibit the discharge from all 
vessels of any sewage, whether treated or not, into such waters, except 
that no such prohibition shall apply until the Administrator determines 
that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and 
treatment of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for such 
water to which such prohibition would apply.
    This Notice of Determination is for the waters of Mount Hope Bay. 
The NDA boundaries are as follows:

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          Waterbody/General area                        Latitude                           Longitude
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The northern edge of the NDA boundary on   41[deg]50'5.90'' N                  71[deg]6'29.34'' W
 the Taunton River is the Center Street/
 Elm Street bridge at.
The northern edge of the NDA boundary on   41[deg]44'24.87'' N                 71[deg]11'12.72'' W
 the Lees River is the Route 6 bridge at.
The northern edge of the NDA boundary on   41[deg]44'47.03'' N                 71[deg]12'7.81'' W
 the Cole River is the Route 6 Bridge at.
The southwestern edge of the NDA boundary  41[deg]42'43.94'' N                 71[deg]13'34.27'' W
 is the Rhode Island/Massachusetts border
 at Swansea at.
The southeastern edge of the NDA boundary  41[deg]40'30.28'' N                 71[deg]11'43.86'' W
 is the Rhode Island/Massachusetts border
 at Fall River at.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Mount Hope Bay NDA will encompass the tidal waters of Dighton, 
Berkley, Freetown, Somerset, Swansea, and Fall River to the mean high 
tide line.
    The information submitted to EPA by the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts certifies that there are three pumpout facilities within 
the proposed area available to the boating public. The location, 
contact information, hours of operation, and water depth are provided 
at the end of this notice.
    Based on the examination of the petition and its supporting 
documentation, and information from site visits conducted by EPA New 
England staff, EPA has determined that adequate facilities for the safe 
and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are 
reasonably available for the area covered under this determination.
    This determination is made pursuant to Section 312 (f)(3) of Public 
Law 92-500, as amended by Public Laws 95-217 and 100-4.

                              Pumpout Facilities Within Proposed No Discharge Area
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                                                                                                          Depth
               Name                          Town           Contact information     Hours of operation     (Ft)
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Fall River Harbormaster Boat......  Fall River...........  774-644-3609, VHF 16.  On Call..............      N/A
Somerset Harbormaster Boat........  Somerset.............  774-319-3126, VHF 9,   8:30 A.M.-8:30 P.M...      N/A
                                                            16.
Somerset Land-based Pumpout         Somerset.............  N/A Self Serve.......  8 A.M.-5 P.M.              3.5
 Station at Town Boat Ramp.                                                        Weekdays; 8 A.M.-6
                                                                                   P.M. Weekends.
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    Dated: June 7, 2012.
H. Curtis Spalding,
Regional Administrator, New England Region.
[FR Doc. 2012-14919 Filed 6-18-12; 8:45 am]
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