[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 109 (Thursday, June 6, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 26415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11815]



[[Page 26415]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9994-73-Region 10]


Proposed Reissuance of NPDES General Permits for Aquaculture 
Facilities in Idaho Excluding Facilities Discharging Into the Upper 
Snake-Rock Subbasin (IDG131000) and Aquaculture Facilities Located in 
Indian Country in Idaho (IDG133000)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of proposed reissuance of NPDES General Permits and 
request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Director of the Water Division, EPA Region 10, is 
proposing to reissue two aquaculture National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES) General Permits; Aquaculture Facilities in 
Idaho Excluding Facilities Discharging into the Upper Snake-Rock 
Subbasin, and Aquaculture Facilities Located in Indian Country in 
Idaho. As proposed, the General Permits will authorize discharges of 
wastewater from cold water and warm water Concentrated Aquatic Animal 
Production facilities (also referred to as CAAPs or ``hatcheries''). 
The permits will largely replace and combine the NPDES General Permit 
for Cold Water Aquaculture Facilities in Idaho (not subject to 
Wasteload Allocations) (IDG131000) and the NPDES General Permit for 
Aquaculture Facilities in Idaho (subject to Wasteload Allocations) 
(IDG130000) but will exclude facilities discharging within the Upper 
Snake-Rock Subbasin. The EPA is not taking action on coverage for 
facilities that discharge within the Upper Snake-Rock Subbasin under 
IDG130000 at this time; those facilities with coverage will remain 
covered under IDG130000. Coverage for facilities under IDG130000 that 
are not within the Upper Snake-Rock Subbasin will be terminated once 
coverage under IDG131000 or IDG133000 is available. In addition, with 
this reissuance, the EPA is separating out discharges from aquaculture 
facilities located in Indian County in Idaho under a separate General 
Permit number (IDG133000). This will facilitate the transfer of 
IDG131000 to the State of Idaho in 2020 as part of the phased 
implementation of Idaho's administration of the NPDES Program. EPA will 
remain the permitting authority for IDG133000.

DATES: Comments must be received by July 22, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the draft General Permits may be mailed to: 
Director, Water Division; USEPA Region 10; 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 
155, WD19-C09; Seattle, WA 98101, or may also be submitted by fax to 
(206) 553-0165 or electronically to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Permit documents may be found on the 
EPA Region 10 website at: www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/draft-npdes-general-permits-aquaculture-facilities-idaho. Copies of the draft 
General Permits and Fact Sheet are also available upon request. 
Requests may be made to Audrey Washington at (206) 553-0523 or to Lisa 
Kusnierz at (208) 378-5626. Requests may also be electronically mailed 
to: [email protected], or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

    There are approximately 25 facilities eligible for coverage under 
the two General Permits. The Permits generally share the same 
conditions but differ in that IDG131000 is for facilities discharging 
to waters of the U.S. in Idaho (excluding facilities discharging within 
the Upper Snake-Rock Subbasin) and IDG133000 is for facilities 
discharging to waters of the U.S. within Indian Country in Idaho. 
Aquaculture facilities may use one of several types of production 
systems, including ponds, flow-through systems, and recirculating 
systems. Most of the facilities eligible for coverage by the General 
Permits use flow-through systems. Most facilities have a quiescent zone 
at the bottom of their raceways to allow solids and debris to settle 
out (where they can be vacuumed and removed) and use a full-flow 
settling basin or offline settling basin to remove sediment and 
associated pollutants prior to discharge.
    The General Permits have numeric effluent limits for total 
phosphorus and total suspended solids for all facilities and 
temperature limits for some facilities, as well as prohibitions on 
certain discharges and practices. Numeric limitations for facilities 
may differ depending on applicable Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) 
wasteload allocations. Permit conditions include reporting requirements 
for the usage of drugs and chemicals and development of a Best 
Management Practices Plan that addresses solids control, operational 
requirements, materials storage, structural maintenance, recordkeeping, 
and training.
    The basis for the conditions and requirements of the draft General 
Permits are given in the Fact Sheet. Facilities will receive a written 
notification from the EPA whether permit coverage and authorization to 
discharge under one of the General Permits is approved. Major changes 
in the permit conditions from the 2007 General Permit include: Removal 
of the percent total suspended solids removal requirement for offline 
settling basins, prohibition on copper usage, the addition of 
continuous temperature monitoring for some facilities, and 
miscellaneous monitoring revisions.
    The EPA has completed a Biological Evaluation for these Permit 
actions. Consultation under the Endangered Species Act between the EPA 
and the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service has been completed. The Services concurred on the 
EPA's determination that the Permit actions are not likely to adversely 
affect species listed under the Endangered Species Act or designated 
critical habitat.

II. Other Legal Requirements

    This action was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review under Executive Orders 12866, Regulatory Planning and 
Review, and 13563, Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review, and was 
determined to be not significant. Compliance with Endangered Species 
Act, Essential Fish Habitat, Paperwork Reduction Act, and other 
requirements are discussed in the Fact Sheet to the proposed permits.

    Dated: May 22, 2019.
Angela Chung,
Acting Director, Water Division, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 2019-11815 Filed 6-5-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P