
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 57 (Monday, March 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 11086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05661]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9991-31-Region 10]


Proposed Reissuance of NPDES General Permit for Offshore Seafood 
Processors in Alaska (AKG524000)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10.

ACTION: Notice of proposed reissuance of NPDES General Permit and 
request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Director, Office of Water and Watersheds, Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10, is proposing to reissue a National 
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit to 
Offshore Seafood Processors in Alaska. As proposed, the General Permit 
will authorize discharges of seafood processing waste from facilities 
(also referred to as ``vessels'') that discharge at least 3 nautical 
miles (NM) or greater from the Alaska shore as delineated by mean lower 
low water (MLLW) or a closure line and which engage in the processing 
of fresh, frozen, canned, smoked, salted or pickled seafood, the 
processing of mince, or the processing of meal, paste and other 
secondary by-products.

DATES: Comments must be received by May 9, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
    Comments on the draft General Permit should be sent to Director, 
Office of Water and Watersheds; USEPA Region 10; 1200 Sixth Avenue, 
Suite 155, OWW-191; Seattle, WA 98101 and may also be submitted by fax 
to (206) 553-0165 or electronically to ziobro.joseph@epa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Permit documents may be found on the 
EPA Region 10 website at: https://www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/npdes-general-permit-offshore-seafood-processors-alaska. Copies of the draft 
general permit and Fact Sheet are also available upon request. Requests 
may be made to Audrey Washington at (206) 553-0523 or to Joseph Ziobro 
at (206) 553-2723. Requests may also be electronically mailed to: 
washington.audrey@epa.gov, or ziobro.joseph@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information

    There are currently fewer than 100 permitted seafood processors 
that discharge effluent and operate more than 3 NM from the Alaskan 
shore or closure line. Most of the seafood processed on the vessels are 
pollock and Pacific cod. Other species have included sablefish, 
arrowtooth flounder, Pacific hake, jack mackerel, Alaska plaice, 
Pacific Ocean perch, rockfish, sculpin, lumpsucker, skate, sole, 
Greenland turbot, bairdi, opilio, and king crab. The permit authorizes 
the discharge of seafood processing wastes that are mostly waste solids 
(shell, bones, skin, scales, flesh and organs), blood, body fluids, 
slime, oils and fats from cooking and rendering operations; 
disinfectants; and miscellaneous wastewaters. This Permit does not 
authorize the discharge of pollutants from any shore-based facilities, 
nor any pollutants from vessels transporting seafood processing waste 
solely for the purpose of dumping materials into ocean waters. The 
median annual waste discharged from a vessel in 2014 and 2015 was 7.1 
and 6.2 million pounds, respectively.
    A description of the basis for the conditions and requirements of 
the draft general permit is given in the Fact Sheet. In addition, the 
EPA has completed an Ocean Discharge Criteria Evaluation pursuant to 40 
CFR Subpart M which supports the basis for the conditions and 
requirements in the draft general permit. Facilities will receive a 
written notification from the EPA whether permit coverage and 
authorization to discharge under the general permit is approved. Major 
changes from the 2009 General Permit include the removal of the metals 
monitoring requirement and the removal of the requirement to grind 
effluent except in cases when vessels that discharge more than 10 
million pounds per annual reporting year are discharging within Steller 
Sea Lion critical habitat areas designated by the National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
    The EPA is preparing a Biological Evaluation for this Permit 
action. Consultations under the Endangered Species Act between the EPA 
and the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service are ongoing. Also for review in Section X of the Fact 
Sheet are potential mitigation measures provided by National Marine 
Fisheries Service for vessels that are exempt from grinding 
requirements in Steller sea lion critical habitat.

II. Other Legal Requirements

    This action was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review under Executive Orders 12866, Regulatory Planning and 
Review, and 13563, Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review, and was 
determined to be not significant. Compliance with Endangered Species 
Act, Essential Fish Habitat, Paperwork Reduction Act, and other 
requirements are discussed in the Fact Sheet to the proposed permit.

    Dated: March 15, 2019.
Daniel D. Opalski,
Director, Office of Water and Watersheds, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 2019-05661 Filed 3-22-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


