global environmental legislation guide - National Marine ...

EPA will have an additional focus on invasive species and copper paint. EPA, along with theCoast Guard, is preparing boaters’ best practices. Best practices will look at clean marinaswith an additional focus on invasive species (see IMO) and copper based AF paints.Note: The state law was not pre-empted so it may still see some additional regulation atstate level (California).More water related issues within Clean Boating Act:Black water:Permit issues in U.S. are handled differently for black water. EPA is now looking at MSDstandards – two petitions (see above).In the meanwhile, no discharge zones are growing and NMMA has formed a committee towork with EPA as it decides how to respond to these petitions.• Grey water discharge is still largely unregulated except for inland lakes. This mightchange when vessel permits are renewed in five years• Copper is under attack of all forms of pesticide registration continuing• NMMA expects to see more in water cleaning bans• Gulf Oil Spill will result in a rewriting of Oil Pollution Act or other action, it createsopportunity for new mandate• Invasive species remains a concern but extremely difficult to address in the US.Aquatic invasive species have caused closures to travelling boats (inland). Boats needto be able to dry out (see also IMO update)Updates Clean Water Act regarding the marine sanitation devicesThe Clean Water Act is the federal legislation addressing pollution in US waters. According tothe legislation, discharges of sewage from vessels are controlled by regulating thewastewater treatment equipment and holding tanks and devices, named the marinesanitation devices (MSDs).What is MSD?As regulated in the CWA, a marine sanitation device is any equipment for installation onboard of a vessel which is designed to receive, retain, treat or discharge sewage and anyprocess to treat such sewage.Who is required to use a MSD?The CWA requires the use of operational and certified MSDs on board a vessel which isequipped with installed toilets and which operates on US navigable waters, including thethree mile territorial seas.The different categories of MSD:Type IFlow-through treatmentdevices that commonly usemaceration anddisinfection for theMay only beinstalled onvessels lessthan or equalto 65 feet ofMust produce an effluent with: No visible floating solids A faecal coliform bacterial26