FW: EPA Public Meetings on Ocean Protection

Catherine Corbett ccorbett at swfrpc.org
Mon Jul 24 10:40:05 EDT 2000


FYI

TO: Catherine Corbett
Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program
9,1-941-656-7724
Dear Stakeholder

     The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting
all interested persons to participate in a public meeting on proposed
revisions to EPA's Ocean Discharge Criteria regulations.  These regulations
implement Section 403 of the Clean Water Act. This regulation revision will
help EPA to address the new Executive Order signed by the President on May
26, 2000, on Marine Protected Areas.  Executive Order 13158 includes
initiatives which will help protect areas of the ocean that are
"environmentally sensitive, ecologically important, economically valuable,
or historically significant"  The Order identifies a specific role for the
EPA:

     To better protect beaches, coasts, and the marine environment from
pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), relying upon existing
Clean Water Act authorities, shall expeditiously propose new science-based
regulations, as necessary, to ensure appropriate levels of protection for
the marine environment.  Such regulations may include the identification of
areas that warrant additional pollution protections and the enhancement of
marine water quality standards.  The EPA shall consult with the Federal
agencies identified in subsection 4(a) of this order, States, territories,
tribes, and the public in the development of such new regulations.

     In the issuance of the Executive Order, President Clinton highlighted
the tremendous role oceans play in our daily lives and the pressures they
face from pollution and resource utilization.  Ocean and coastal waters are
a resource of tremendous importance both in environmental and economic
terms.  Ocean and
coastal waters provide some of the most diverse and biologically productive
habitat in the world.  Our marine habitats range in diversity from the
temperate waters of the northeast and Pacific northwest with their
fisheries, to the tropical coral reefs of Hawaii and the Florida Keys.
Such habitats are critical
to a wide variety of marine life -- from floating single-celled plants,
seagrasses, corals and shellfish, to a multitude of fishes, aquatic birds
and marine mammals.  Nearshore waters alone provide essential habitat
during critical portions of the life cycles of roughly two-thirds of the
fish and shellfish caught commercially in the U.S.  In order to carry out
the mandate in the Executive Order, EPA, working closely with States and
other interested Stakeholders, plans to strengthen existing policies and
regulations that have been implemented under the Clean Water Act.  EPA will
propose revisions to the Ocean Discharge Criteria
regulations (40 CFR 125.120 - 124) in December 2000 that will (1) expand
the designation of sensitive ocean and coastal areas requiring greater
protection (called Special Aquatic Sites) and restrict or prohibit certain
discharges to them, and (2) strengthen standards for discharges into all
ocean waters. Revising these regulations could potentially impact holders
of NPDES permits that discharge into ocean waters and anyone who might
apply for such a permit in the future.  Specifically, the Agency may
consider revising the existing scientific standards for protecting coastal
and ocean waters, strengthening the existing regulations regarding permits
to discharge into ocean waters and proposing a list of Special Aquatic
Sites (SAS?s) under Section 403 of the Clean Water Act.

For more information, see our website at Error! Bookmark not defined.

     EPA is holding five meetings in the following cities:

Tuesday, July 25, in Washington
Thursday, July 27, in Boston, MA
Tuesday, August 1, in Portland, OR
Thursday, August 3, in Los Angeles, CA
Wednesday, August 9, in  Tampa, FL

Specific information regarding locations, dates and times is contained in
Attachment 1.  The meetings will provide the opportunity to introduce and
explain to the interested public EPA's proposed approach to meeting the
requirements of the Executive Order.  The meetings will also provide a
vehicle through which stakeholders may provide individualized input on the
approach, the perceived need to improve the regulation given the goals of
the Executive Order, and any applicable (available) information regarding
potential impacts of discharges to the marine environment.

     The revised regulations will serve to strengthen existing criteria for
any point source discharge into territorial seas, the contiguous zone, and
the ocean.  The revisions are an integral part of EPA's effort to protect
our ocean and coastal resources from the stresses of land-based, nearshore
and offshore activities that discharge into these waters.  In order to
ensure a robust regulatory process, EPA encourages public participation in
the rulemaking effort and we hope you will be able to join us in one of the
public meetings.  We look forward to your participation.

                         Sincerely,

                         /s/

                         Robert H. Wayland III
                         Director
                         Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds


PUBLIC MEETING INFORMATION:   *

The public meetings will be held on the following dates, times and
locations:

1. Tuesday, July 25, 2000, in Washington, DC
Holiday Inn - National Airport
2650 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, VA  22202
Session I   9 a.m. to12:00 noon  and Session II  1 to 4:30 p.m.

2. Thursday, July 27, 2000, in Boston, MA
Wyndham Boston Hotel
89 Broad Street
Boston, MA  02110
Session I  1 to 4:30 p.m. and Session II  7 to 9 p.m.

3.  Tuesday, August 1, 2000, in Portland, OR
Portland Conference Center, Morrison Room
300 NE Multnomah Street
Portland, OR  97232
Session I  1 to 4:30 p.m. and Session II  7 to 9 p.m.

4.  Thursday,  August 3, 2000, in Los Angles, CA.
Los Angeles Convention Center
201 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA   90015
Session I  1 to 4:30 p.m. and Session II  7 to 9 p.m.

5.  Wednesday, August 9, 2000,  in Tampa, FL
Holiday Inn Express - Airport\Stadium, Room Lakeside #4
4732 N. Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL  33614
Session I  1 to 4:30 p.m. and Session II  7 to 9 p.m.
*Each meeting is designed to provide introductory remarks from an EPA a
representative in each session.. Stakeholders may choose the session that
best
fits their schedule.

RSVP:  Members of the public who plan to attend any of these meetings
should write, call, email or fax to the address listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section below.  Include your name, affiliation, address
and phone number, and whether you wish to make a  statement.    The Agency
will use the information to arrange enough time on the agenda for public
comment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  For general information on the meetings,
write Marine Pollution Control Branch, ATTN: Ocean Discharge Criteria, US
Environmental Protection Agency, MC 4504F, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Washington, DC, 20460, or to email address: Ocean.Discharges at epa.gov, or
fax at 202/260-9920.  You may also call Macara Lousberg, at telephone
202/260-9109.
                             EPA's Role Under Executive Order 13158:
                             MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

Value of oceans: Environmental & Economic

     Ocean and coastal waters are more than a place for recreation.  They
provide food, transportation, minerals, medicine, and vital ingredients for
everyday products from ice cream to toothpaste.  The oceans provide habitat
for 80 percent of all life-forms found on earth, and contain some of the
most biologically diverse communities on earth.  Oceans also have
significant effects on our climate and weather, for instance, rain that
falls on crops in the midwest originates from water that had evaporated
from the oceans.  Our oceans also help to mitigate the effects of
greenhouse gases by absorbing large amounts
of carbon dioxide.

     Each year, the oceans generate billions of dollars for the U.S.
economy. Did you know that more than 180 million people visit US coasts
every year, generating over $595 billion in revenue?  Or that the US
extracts $38 billion dollars in food products from our ocean waters every
year, and that life-saving
medicines have been developed from ocean resources?

What is happening to our oceans?

     Unfortunately, as important as they are, the oceans are being
threatened by pollution, and the competition for ocean resources continues
to increase.
Coastal populations are rapidly increasing, generating more pollution and
increasing demands on space and resources.  Offshore activities such as
ships transporting goods, oil and gas drilling, aquaculture, and harvesting
organisms for biotechnology are expanding into new areas.  These uses of
the ocean often
compete with recreational interests such as swimming, boating, and fishing.
While these activities are not the only ones with impacts to ocean
resources, the environmental effects of these actions must be addressed.
The oceans are the largest water bodies on earth, but they cannot withstand
unabated pollution
loads.

President Clinton's Charge

     The US government is responsible for nearly 2.5 million square miles
of  ocean waters, and the management of their resources.  On May 26, 2000,
President Clinton highlighted the tremendous role oceans play in our daily
lives and the pressures they face from pollution and resource exploitation.
 To address these issues, the President issued Executive Order 13158 on
Marine Protected Areas.
The new Executive Order contains initiatives which will help protect areas
of the ocean that are environmentally sensitive, ecologically important,
economically valuable, or historically significant.



What will EPA do?

The new Executive Order identifies a specific role for EPA:

To better protect beaches, coasts, and the marine environment from
pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), relying upon existing
Clean Water Act authorities, shall expeditiously propose new science-based
regulations, as necessary, to ensure appropriate levels of protection for
the marine
environment.  Such regulations may include the identification of areas that
warrant additional pollution protections and the enhancement of marine
water quality standards.  The EPA shall consult with the Federal agencies
identified in subsection 4(a) of this order, States, territories, tribes,
and the public in
the development of such new regulations.

     In order to carry out this mandate, EPA, working closely with the
States, plans to strengthen existing policies and regulations that have
been implemented under the Clean Water Act. Specifically, these plans
include:

+  issuing a policy that strengthens the application of water quality
criteria in permits for discharges to ocean waters.
+    publishing guidance for States and EPA Regions to develop nutrient
criteria and biological criteria for estuaries and coastal waters by the
end of  2000.
+    proposing a regulation that revises EPA's ocean discharge criteria
under  Clean Water Act section 403 by the end of 2000, and publishing the
final regulation in 2002.  This will include proposals to establish special
ocean protection areas.
+    participating in an interagency effort to  help identify a system of
Marine Protected Areas that are ecologically valuable, environmentally
sensitive, or historically significant.

     In developing the regulation, particularly with respect to special
ocean protection areas, EPA will be seeking input from States, scientists,
and the public.  A series of public meetings will be held from mid-July to
mid-August. In addition, suggestions and data are welcome at any time, and
should be sent by
e-mail to ocean.discharges at epa.gov or call 202-260-1952.

How will EPA?s actions help the oceans?

+    These actions will strengthen existing Clean Water Act programs,
improve  the standards for protecting marine water quality, and define
specific marine areas that warrant special protection from sources of
pollution.  This will ensure the continued vitality of our marine and
coastal waters.
+    Fish and shellfish contamination may decrease, making fish consumption
advisories less common and opening more shellfish beds to harvesting.
+   Under proposals to establish special ocean protection areas, unique
habitats such as coral reefs, coastal wetlands, sea grass beds, and deep
sea vent communities can be better protected from pollution.
+    These actions would build upon EPA's work under the Vice President's
Ocean Report Task Force, and the President's Clean Water Action Plan.
Together, these activities can protect our ocean and coastal resources for
generations to come.






More information about the Coral-list-old mailing list