Rhode Island Marine Sanitation Device Standard; Notice of Determination

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6140-2]

Rhode Island Marine Sanitation Device Standard; Notice of

Determination

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On March 6, 1998 notice was published that the State of Rhode

Island had petitioned the Regional Administrator, Environmental

Protection Agency, to determine that adequate facilities for the safe

and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are

reasonably available for all waters within the 3 mile territorial limit

of Rhode Island's coastline and all coastal shore ponds which would

include Point Judith and Potter Ponds, Quonochontaug Pond, Ninigret and

Green Hill Ponds, Winnapaug Pond, the Pawcatuck River and also within

the 3 mile territorial waters surrounding Block Island. The petition

was filed pursuant to section 312(f)(3) of Public Law 92-500, as

amended by Public Law 95-217 and 100-4, for the purpose of declaring

these waters a ``No Discharge Area'' (NDA).

Section 312(f)(3) 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.

The information submitted to me by the State of Rhode Island

certified that there are forty-three disposal facilities available to

service vessels operating in the marine waters of Rhode Island. A list

of the facilities, phone numbers, locations, and hours of operation is

appended at the end of the determination.

Based on the examination of the petition and its supporting

information, which included site visits by EPA New England staff,

newspaper articles, 120 comment letters, scientific studies, I have

determined that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal

and treatment of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for

the area covered under this determination which include all marine

waters within the 3 mile territorial limit of Rhode Island's coastline

and all coastal shore ponds which would include Point Judith and Potter

Ponds, Quonochontaug Pond, Ninigret and Green Hill Ponds, Winnapaug

Pond, the Pawcatuck River and also within the 3 mile territorial waters

surrounding Block Island. The areas covered under this petition include

Latitude 71 deg. 22 deg. 55 deg. Longitude 41 deg. 53 deg. 36 deg. at

the Providence River, Latitude 71 deg. 13 deg. 09 deg., 71 deg. 12 deg.

18 deg. Longitude 41 deg. 42 deg. 11 deg., 41 deg. 41 deg. 09 deg. in

Mount Hope Bay, Latitude 71 deg. 07 deg. 04 deg.,Longitude 41 deg.

26 deg. 25 deg. at the Massachusetts state border, and Latitude 71 deg.

55 deg. 48 deg. Longitude 41 deg. 16 deg. 40 deg. at the Connecticut

border.

This determination is made pursuant to section 312(f)(3) of Public

Law 92-500, as amended by Public Law 95-217 and 100-4.

A Response to Comments was prepared for the 120 communications the

EPA New England received during the 60-day comment period, and may be

requested from EPA by written request to Ann Rodney, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency--New England, Office of Ecosystem Protection, Water

Quality Unit (CWQ), JFK Federal Building, Boston, MA 02203.

Dated: July 30, 1998.

John P. DeVillars,

Regional Administrator, Region I.

Pump-Out Facilities Available in Rhode Island Waters

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Marina name Number Water body Hours of operation

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City of Providence............ 454-4447............. Seekonk River........ F-Su 10am-9:30pm/ M-Th 10am-8pm.

Bootlegger Marina............. 273-2444............. Seekonk River........ F-Su 10am-9:30pm/M-Th 10am-8pm.

Edgewood Yacht Club........... 466-1000/ext: 3245... Providence River..... 24 Hours.

Port Edgewood Marina.......... 941-2000............. Providence River..... 24 Hours.

Pawtuxet Cove Marina.......... 941-2000............. Providence River..... 24 hours.

Rhode Island Yacht Club....... 941-0220............. Providence River..... 24 Hours.

Cove Haven Marina............. 246-1600 Ch 9........ Bullocks River....... 24 Hours.

Warren Town Dock.............. 245-7340............. Warren River......... 24 Hours.

Bristol--BOAT................. 253-1700............. Kickamuit River/ Daily 8am-12pm.

Bristol Harbor.

Rockwell Town Pier............ 253-1700............. Bristol Harbor....... W 3pm-6pm/Sa-Su 10a-p.

Brewer's Sakonnet Marina...... 683-3551 Ch 9........ Sakonnet River....... Daily 8am-5pm.

Pirates Cove Marina........... 683-3030 Ch 9........ Sakonnet River....... Daily 8am-5pm.

East Passage Yachting Center.. 683-4000 Ch 9........ East Passage......... May-Sep 7am-7pm/Oct-Apr 8am-5pm.

Alden Yacht................... 683-4200 Ch 71....... East Passage......... call 683-4200.

Bay Marina Inc................ 739-6435............. Warwick Cove......... Call 739-6435.

Carlson's Marina.............. 738-4278 Ch 9........ Warwick Cove......... Apr-Nov 8am-5pm.

Wharf Marina.................. 737-2233............. Warwick Cove......... 24 Hours.

Harbor Light Marina........... 737-6353............. Warwick Cove......... Daily 8am-9pm.

Warwick Cove Marina........... 737-2446............. Warwick Cove......... Daily 7am-8pm.

[[Page 42634]]

Apponaug Harbor Marina........ 739-5055............. Apponaug Cove........ M-F 9am/Sa 12pm-4pm.

Brewer's Yacht Yard at 884-0544 Ch 9........ Greenwich Bay/ M-Sa 8am-4:30pm.

Cowesett. Apponaug cove.

Greenwich Bay Marina Club..... 884-1810 Ch 9........ Greenwich Bay & Cove. Apr-Nov 8am-5pm.

East Greenwich Yacht Club..... 884-7700 Ch 9........ Greenwich Cove....... Daily 9am-4pm.

Allen Harbor Marina........... 294-1212............. Allen Harbor......... Call 294-1212.

Brewer's Wickford Cove Marina. 884-7014 Ch 9........ Wickford Harbor...... Daily 7am-6pm.

Wickford Marina............... 294-8160 Ch 10....... Wickford Harbor...... Daily 8am-6pm.

Goat Island................... 849-5655 Ch 9........ Newport Harbor....... Daily 7:30am-8pm.

Long Wharf Marina--BOAT....... 849-2210 Ch 9........ Newport Harbor....... Daily 8am-6pm.

Newport Yachting Center....... 846-1600 Ch 9 & 11... Newport Harbor....... Daily 8am-7:30pm.

Newport Yacht Club............ 846-1600............. Newport Harbor....... Daily 8am-8pm.

Ida Lewis Yacht Club.......... ..................... Newport Harbor....... Members & Guests.

New York Yacht Club........... ..................... Newport Harbor....... Member & Guests.

East Ferry Town Dock--2....... 423-7262............. Jamestown Harbor..... Daily 8am-8pm.

West Ferry Town Dock.......... 423-1556............. Dutch Island......... 24 Hours.

Ram Point Marina.............. 738-4535 Ch 1 & 9.... Point Judith Pond.... 24 Hours.

Avondale Boat Yard............ 348-8187............. Little Narr./ Daily 8am-5pm.

Pawcatuck River.

Block Island Boat Basin....... 466-2631 Ch 9........ Great Salt Pond...... Daily 7am-7pm.

Champlins Marina.............. 466-2641 Ch 68....... Great Salt Pond...... Daily 7am-9pm.

Payne's Dock.................. 466-5572............. Great Salt Pond...... Daily 7am-6pm.

Block Island Harbor Dept.--2 466-3204 Ch 12....... Great Salt Pond...... Daily 7am-11am/1pm-sunset.

BOATS.

Block Island Town Dock--cart.. 466-3204............. Old Harbor........... Daily 7am-5pm

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Pending Pump-out Facilities

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Warren--BOAT.................. 245-7340............. Warren River......... To be determined.

Jamestown--BOAT............... ..................... James Town Harbor.... To be determined.

Galilee State Pier............ ..................... Point Judith Pond.... To be determined.

Southern View Marina.......... ..................... Point Judith Pond.... To be determined.

Frank Hall Boat Yard.......... ..................... Little Narr Bay/ May-Nov 8am-4pm.

Pawcatuck River..

Watch Hill--BOAT.............. ..................... Little Narr Bay/ To be determined.

Pawcatuck River.

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All phone numbers use area code 401.

[FR Doc. 98-21344 Filed 8-7-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P