City of Key West No Discharge Zone Determination

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46390-46391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22044]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6428-2]


City of Key West No Discharge Zone Determination

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 Regional 
Administrator concurs with the determinations of the State of Florida 
that adequate and reasonably available pumpout facilities exist around 
the waters (out to 600 feet from shore) of the Island of Key West. A 
petition was received from the State of Florida requesting a 
determination by the Regional Administrator, EPA, pursuant to section 
312(f)(3) of Public Law 92-500 as amended by Public Law 95-217 and 
Public Law 100-4, that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary 
removal of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for the 
waters around the City of Key West to qualify as a No Discharge Zone.
    This action is taken under section 312 (f)(3) of the Clean Water 
Act which states:

    After the effective date of the initial standards and 
regulations promulgated under this section, if any State determines 
that the protection and enhancement of the quality of some or all of 
the waters within such States require greater environmental 
protection, such State may completely prohibit the discharge from 
all vessels of any sewage, whether treated or not into such waters, 
except that no such prohibition shall apply until the Administrator 
determines that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary 
removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are reasonably 
available for such water to which such prohibition would apply.

    EPA's action allows prohibition regarding discharge from vessels to 
be applied by the State of Florida for the City of Key West. EPA found 
the following existing facilities available for pumping out vessel 
holding tanks in the City of Key West. Their address, telephone number, 
hours of operation and draft are as follows:

A. Galleon Marina; 619 Front Street, Key West, Florida 33040; 305-292-
1292; 8 AM-6 PM 7 days/week; 45' draft.
B. Historic Seaport at Key West Bight; 201 William Street, Key West, 
Florida 33040; 305-293-8309; 7 AM-7 PM (summer) 7 AM-5 PM (winter) 7 
days /week; 12' draft.
C. Key West Conch Harbor; 951 Caroline Street, Key West, Florida 33040; 
305-294-2933; 6 AM-Sunset 7 days/week; 10' draft.
D. Garrison Bight Marina; Garrison Bight Causeway, Key West, Florida 
33040; 305-292-8167; 24 hours/day 7 days/week; 7' draft; mobile pumpout 
barge operated 8 AM-5 PM Monday through Saturday; 1' draft.
E. Sunset Marina; 5555 College Road, Stock Island, Key West, Florida 
33040; 305-296-7101; 7 AM-8 PM daily; 6.5' draft.

    Additional pumpout facilities are being installed at several other 
marinas within city limits. The facilities at A & B Marina are 
scheduled for completion by September 1, 1999. The Key West Yacht Club 
is currently seeking permits for a pumpout facility. The Historic 
Seaport at Key West Bight has budgeted

[[Page 46391]]

funds for installation of dockside pumpouts for charterboats within the 
next fiscal year.
    All of the vessel pumpout facilities that are in use within Key 
West City limits discharge directly into the collection system that 
delivers waste to the central waste treatment facility for Key West, 
otherwise known as the Richard Heyman Environmental Protection 
Facility. The plant achieves a secondary level of waste treatment and 
currently discharges the treated effluent into nearshore waters off 
Fort Zachary Taylor State Beach. However, the City is currently 
retrofitting the plant to achieve a level of advanced wastewater 
treatment and will be replacing the ocean outfall with deep injection 
wells. Currently, the City collection system is being rebuilt at a cost 
of several million dollars. Both the collection system improvements and 
the replacement of the outfall with deep injection wells will be 
completed within a few years pursuant to the provisions of a consent 
judgment with the State of Florida. The City has entered into an 
agreement with Reef Relief and Last Stand, two environmental 
organizations, to treat the effluent being injected to a level of 
advanced wastewater treatment to remove the nutrients prior to 
injection.
    Thus all wastewater collected at the vessel pumpout facilities will 
be treated to meet existing standards for secondary treatment and will 
eventually meet the higher standard of advanced wastewater treatment. 
This action is being taken in consideration of the need to reduce 
nutrient loading to nearshore waters.
    The number of boats with marine sanitation devices (MSD) varies 
seasonally. According to Key West marina operators, approximately 628 
boats with heads is a reasonable average. Therefore, the ratio of boats 
with MSDs to pumpout facilities is 126 boats per pumpout facility, plus 
a mobile pumpout service.
    Comments concerning this action may be filed on or before September 
24, 1999. Such communications should be addressed to Wesley B. Crum, 
Chief, Coastal and Nonpoint Source Programs Section, USEPA, Region 4, 
Sam Nunn Federal Center, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-
3104. Telephone 404-562-9352.
John H. Hankinson, Jr.,
Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 99-22044 Filed 8-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P