The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) are proposing performance standards for certain discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel of the Armed Forces into the navigable waters of the United States, the territorial seas, and the contiguous zone. Comments must be received on or before April 4, 2014. See http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-02-03/pdf/2014-01370.pdf
The proposed standards would reduce the adverse environmental impacts associated with the discharges, stimulate the development of improved pollution control devices, and advance the development of environmentally sound ships by the Armed Forces. The proposed standards are designed to be consistent with the effluent limitations included in the recently issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit for discharges incidental to the normal operation of a non-military vessel.
The proposed rule would amend Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 1700 to establish performance standards for 11 of the discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel of the Armed Forces from among the 25 discharges for which EPA and DoD previously determined (64 FR 25126) that it is reasonable and practicable to require a marine pollution control device (MPCD). The 11 discharges addressed by the proposal are the following: Aqueous film-forming foam; chain locker effluent; distillation and reverse osmosis brine; elevator pit effluent; gas turbine water wash; nonoily machinery wastewater; photographic laboratory drains; seawater cooling overboard discharge; seawater piping biofouling prevention; small boat engine wet exhaust; and welldeck discharges.
