United States: EPA Issues Preliminary Study on Vessel Discharges for Fishing Industry and Smaller Cargo Vessels
By Barry M. Hartman (Washington, DC), Mark Ruge (Washington, DC), Susan B. Geiger (Washington, DC) and Stephen P. Roberts (Washington, DC).
Why is this study important?
In an apparent major step forward toward performance-based regulation of vessel discharges, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sent to Congress a draft report on the discharges from fishing vessels of all sizes and non-recreational vessels less than 79 feet in length.
In December 2008, the EPA issued its first Vessel General Permit (VGP), which regulated the discharge of everything from deck runoff to chain effluent on large commercial cargo and tankers.[1] At the time, fishing vessels and non-recreational vessels under 79 feet were exempt, pending a further study.[2] Unlike when EPA issued its requirements for the VGP,[3] the EPA conducted its own testing of discharges from these currently exempt vessels to provide a foundation for Congress to determine whether to continue a two-year moratorium from VGP requirements on discharges for fishing vessels and these smaller vessels.
What does the study say?
