Event Title
Presentation Abstract
The Washington State Department of Ecology conducted a detailed five-year evaluation process leading to the establishment of a No Discharge Zone (NDZ) for vessel sewage in Puget Sound. The evaluation included gathering data on Puget Sound vessels, pumpout facilities, the conditions of Puget Sound, marine sanitation device performance, boater surveys, research on other states with NDZs, modeling of pollutant movement in areas of Puget Sound, an evaluation of implementation, and outreach to stakeholders. This led to a petition to EPA and for public comment. EPA reviewed our petition and in February 2017, determined that a no discharge zone can be established for Puget Sound. EPA found that there are adequate facilities in Puget Sound for vessels to pump out their sewage and Washington State may move forward with a designation. With EPA’s approval in place, Ecology conducted rulemaking to make Puget Sound off limits to vessel sewage. The rule allows five years for some commercial vessels without holding tanks to add them. Ecology took all of this input into management decisions along the way to proceed, including the geographic extent, a phase-in approach for certain vessels and implementation coordination with other agencies. The features that make Puget Sound such a stunning scenic, environmental and economic resource also make it uniquely sensitive to pollution. Its long, narrow shape limits the circulation of water, especially in the bays and narrow inlets. Sewage from vessels can potentially affect water quality and pose a risk to public health. There are 153,000 registered recreational vessels and 3,600 commercial vessels in the Puget Sound area. Because vessels move throughout Puget Sound, they can especially affect sensitive resources in Puget Sound such as shellfish growing areas, marine protected areas, aquatic reserves and public beaches. Such areas can be impacted by bacteria and pathogens in sewage.
Session Title
Policy and Management Challenges for Restoring and Protecting Water Quality in the Salish Sea
Keywords
No discharge zone, NDZ, Vessel sewage
Conference Track
SSE8: Policy, Management, and Regulations
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE8-29
Start Date
5-4-2018 2:45 PM
End Date
5-4-2018 3:00 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Ships--Waste disposal--Law and legislation--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Boats and boating--Waste disposal--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Water quality--Washington (State)--Puget Sound
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
Washington (State). Department of Ecology
Geographic Coverage
Puget Sound (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Puget Sound no discharge zone for vessel sewage
The Washington State Department of Ecology conducted a detailed five-year evaluation process leading to the establishment of a No Discharge Zone (NDZ) for vessel sewage in Puget Sound. The evaluation included gathering data on Puget Sound vessels, pumpout facilities, the conditions of Puget Sound, marine sanitation device performance, boater surveys, research on other states with NDZs, modeling of pollutant movement in areas of Puget Sound, an evaluation of implementation, and outreach to stakeholders. This led to a petition to EPA and for public comment. EPA reviewed our petition and in February 2017, determined that a no discharge zone can be established for Puget Sound. EPA found that there are adequate facilities in Puget Sound for vessels to pump out their sewage and Washington State may move forward with a designation. With EPA’s approval in place, Ecology conducted rulemaking to make Puget Sound off limits to vessel sewage. The rule allows five years for some commercial vessels without holding tanks to add them. Ecology took all of this input into management decisions along the way to proceed, including the geographic extent, a phase-in approach for certain vessels and implementation coordination with other agencies. The features that make Puget Sound such a stunning scenic, environmental and economic resource also make it uniquely sensitive to pollution. Its long, narrow shape limits the circulation of water, especially in the bays and narrow inlets. Sewage from vessels can potentially affect water quality and pose a risk to public health. There are 153,000 registered recreational vessels and 3,600 commercial vessels in the Puget Sound area. Because vessels move throughout Puget Sound, they can especially affect sensitive resources in Puget Sound such as shellfish growing areas, marine protected areas, aquatic reserves and public beaches. Such areas can be impacted by bacteria and pathogens in sewage.
