(New York, N.Y. - Oct. 6, 2011) The U.S
(New York, N.Y. - Oct. 6, 2011) The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency has tentatively determined that
there are adequate facilities around Lake Ontario for boats to pump
out their sewage, allowing the establishment of a “no
discharge zone” for 3,675 square miles of the lake, its
tributaries and bays, and 326 miles of shoreline that comprise the
New York State portion of the lake. The no discharge zone was
proposed by the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation. A no-discharge zone means that boats are completely
banned from discharging sewage into the water. Boaters must instead
dispose of their sewage at specially-designated pump-out stations.
This action is part of a joint EPA/New York State strategy to
eliminate the discharge of sewage from boats into the state’s
waterways. Discharges of sewage from boats can contain harmful
levels of pathogens and chemicals such as formaldehyde, phenols and
chlorine, which have a negative impact on water quality, pose a
risk to people’s health and impair marine life. EPA is
encouraging public comment on its proposed approval until November
4, 2011.
EPA’s tentative determination is available
in the Federal Register at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.
The proposed no discharge zone for the New York
State portion of Lake Ontario includes the waters of the lake
within the New York State boundary: the Niagara River, including
the Niagara River up to Niagara Falls, in the west to Tibbetts
Point at the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River in the east. The
proposed no discharge zone also includes the navigable portions of
the Lower Genesee, Oswego and Black rivers and various tributaries,
Irondequoit Bay, Sodus Bay, Henderson Bay, Black River Bay,
Chaumont Bay, and North and South ponds.
Lake Ontario, its harbors, bays, creeks and
wetlands support fish spawning areas and habitat, commercial and
recreational boating, and plethora of recreational opportunities.
The Lake Ontario watershed is also a source of drinking water for
760,000 people.
For more information about no discharge zones,
visit http://www.epa.gov/region02/water/ndz/index.html.
To comment on the proposed EPA approval, email,
fax or mail comments to Moses Chang at [email protected], Fax:
(212) 637-3891. Mailing address: Moses Chang, U.S. EPA Region 2,
290 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10007-1866.
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2
and visit our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.
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