[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 200 (Friday, October 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62552-62554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26285]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2015-0960]
Coast Guard Acceptance of Sewage Treatment Plants for Type-
Approval to International Maritime Organization Resolution MEPC.227(64)
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of Policy and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its acceptance of sewage treatment
plants (also referred to as marine sanitation devices) for type-
approval to International Maritime Organization resolution MEPC.227(64)
as meeting the requirements for marine sanitation devices. This action
will allow manufacturers as well as shipowners and operators the option
to take advantage of building and using equipment that meets both
domestic and international requirements while also benefitting the
environment. The Coast Guard is also seeking information on simple on
board checks to verify performance of sewage treatment plants.
DATES: Comments and related material must be received by the Coast
Guard on or before November 16, 2015.
You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-2015-0880
using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. See
the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further instructions on
submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document
call or email Wayne M. Lundy, CG-ENG-3, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone
202-372-1379, email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Participation and Comments
If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this
notice, indicate the specific section of this document to which each
comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or
recommendation.
We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate
instructions.
We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted
without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any
personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and the
docket, you may review a Privacy Act notice regarding the Federal
Docket Management System in the March 24, 2005, issue of the Federal
Register (70 FR 15086).
Documents mentioned in this notice as being available in the
docket, and all public comments, will be in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that Web site's
instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up
for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted.
We are also planning to hold a two-day public workshop in
Washington DC in the fall of 2015. We will issue a separate Federal
Register notice to announce the date, time, and location of such a
workshop. The purpose of the workshop will be to discuss sewage
treatment technologies, issues concerning testing of marine sanitation
devices for type approval and information on simple on board checks to
verify performance of a marine sanitation device. The workshop will
also consider issues associated with existing federal standards and
MARPOL Annex IV equipment standards (resolution MEPC.227(64)), impact
of No Discharge Zones, and issues concerning gray water.
Background and Purpose
Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 159,
prescribes requirements for the design and construction of marine
sanitation devices (``MSDs'', also referred to as sewage treatment
plants) and procedures for certifying that MSDs meet the regulations
and standards of the Environmental Protection Agency promulgated under
Section 312 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Pub. L. 92-500,
Sec. 312, 86 Stat. 871 (October 18, 1972), as amended; classified to
33 U.S.C. 1322). In October 2012, the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) adopted resolution MEPC.227(64)--2012 Guidelines on
implementation of effluent standards and performance tests for sewage
treatment plants. The International Convention on the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships 73/78 (MARPOL) Annex IV requires sewage treatment
plants to be type-approved taking into account the standards of IMO
Resolution MEPC.227(64). While the United States is not a Contracting
Government to MARPOL Annex IV, we recognize that the limits and
standards in IMO resolution MEPC.227(64) are more stringent or
prescriptive than those requirements in 33 CFR 159 concerning threshold
limits and testing of equipment and thus equipment that is type-
approved to the MEPC.227(64) standards would also satisfy U.S.
threshold effluent limits. Specifically, we have determined that a MSD
meeting the design specifications in MEPC.227(64) would exceed the
performance specifications for Type II tanks, as listed in 33 CFR
159.53(b), which states that, ``[u]nder the test conditions described
in Sec. Sec. 159.126 and 159.126a, [the tanks must] produce an
effluent having a fecal coliform bacteria count not greater than 200
per 100 milliliters and suspended solids not greater than 150
milligrams per liter.''
In recognition of this, the Coast Guard believes MSDs type-approved
in accordance with the requirements of IMO resolution MEPC.227(64) and
installed on U.S. flagged ships comply with those threshold effluent
limits in 33 CFR 159.53(b). MSDs must still meet the other requirements
contained in part 159, and any inconsistencies between part 159 and
MEPC.227(64) must be resolved in favor of part 159. Manufacturers may
submit their equipment to a recognized testing facility recognized by
the Coast Guard for testing of such equipment and may make a submission
to the Coast Guard requesting type approval.
Resolution MEPC.227(64) also contains a process allowing the Coast
Guard to certify that a type-approved MSD meets the specific effluent
discharge requirements for a vessel to enter Special Areas listed in
MARPOL Annex IV. The Coast Guard would certify that the MSD meets the
enhanced
[[Page 62553]]
effluent discharge and treatment specifications listed in MEPC.227(64).
Under MARPOL Annex IV Regulations 9.1.1 and 9.1.2, vessels with MSDs
conforming to the Special Area specifications contained in MEPC.227(64)
may be permitted to operate in Special Areas. This certification would
allow U.S.-flagged vessels to document that they meet those standards.
However, U.S.-flagged vessels voluntarily installing MSDs in
accordance with MARPOL Annex IV standards must comply with the U.S.
application of MEPC.227(64), as follows, to receive U.S. certification.
Currently, MEPC.227(64), is vague on the amount of reduction required
for thermotolerant coliform (TC), total suspended solids (TSS),
biochemical oxygen demand without nitrification (BOD5) and
chemical oxygen demand (COD). While Section 3 of MEPC.227(64) states
that ``[i]n meeting the effluent standards in Section 4, an approved
sewage treatment plant should not rely solely on dilution of
wastewater,'' there are no specific levels of reduction given for TC,
TSS, BOD5 and COD (unlike the specific Percent Reductions
given for discharges of nitrogen and phosphorus in Section 4.2).
IMO Resolution MEPC.227(64) states that an approved MSD not rely
solely on dilution of wastewater in order to meet the effluent limits
stipulated in resolution MEPC.227(64). Resolution MEPC.227(64) further
states that, where amounts of dilution are deemed essential to a
treatment process, the effluent standards in Section 4 should be
adjusted proportionally using dilution compensation factor Qi/Qe to
account for dilution Qd.\1\ In order to demonstrate that the MSD does
not rely solely on dilution of wastewater in order to meet the effluent
standards, the effluent concentration value Ce for any particular
analyte addressed in resolution MEPC.227(64), Section 4.1
(specifically, TC, TSS, BOD5 and COD) will need to be less
than the effluent standard for that analyte multiplied by the dilution
compensation factor Qi/Qe.
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\1\ Dilution (Qd)--is dilution water, grey water, process water,
and/or seawater introduced to the sewage treatment plant after the
influent sample point and after the influent flow measurement
device, see figure 1 of resolution MEPC.227(64).
Effluent (Qe)--is treated wastewater produced by the sewage
treatment plant, see figure 1 of resolution MEPC.227(64).
Influent (Qi)--is liquid containing sewage, grey water or other
liquid streams, to be processed by the treatment plant, see figure
1of resolution MEPC.227(64).
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In order for a MSD to be able to be technically evaluated for type
approval under MEPC.227(64), the concentration value of the effluent
for that analyte being considered must be readable, i.e., at or above
the detection limit for the test method for that analyte. For
consideration by the Coast Guard, a MSD, after application of the
dilution compensation factor Qi/Qe, the revised effluent concentration
value of any analyte measured at the Effluent Sample Point as shown in
figure 1 of this Notice of Policy cannot be below the Test Method
detection limit for that analyte. Figure 1 is replicated from
resolution MEPC.227(64). If the revised concentration value is below
the Test Method detection limit for that analyte, then it becomes
impossible for the concentration value to be physically measured.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN16OC15.037
To make the above determination for Annex IV certification, the
Coast Guard will use the approved test methods that are listed in the
Environmental Protection Agency regulations (40 CFR 136, Guidelines
Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants). The
following methods must be used:
Thermotolerant Coliform (TC) Test Method EPA 600/8-78-017
Chapter III \2\
[[Page 62554]]
(Detection Limit = 1 colony form unit (CFU)/100 mL),
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\2\ Please refer to Page Number 124 in document USEPA. 1978.
Microbiological Methods for Monitoring the Environment, Water, and
Wastes. Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio. EPA/600/8-78/017;
weblink: http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/300014TD.txt?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1976%20Thru%201980&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&UseQField=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5CZYFILES%5CINDEX%20DATA%5C76THRU80%5CTXT%5C00000000%5C300014TD.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=p%7Cf&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1.
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Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Test Method 160.2 (Detection
Limit = 4.0 mg/L),
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) without
nitrification \3\ Test Method 5210 B\3\ (Detection Limit = 2.0 mg/L),
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\3\ The equivalent U.S. EPA Test Method for Biochemical Oxygen
Demand (BOD5) without nitrification is done as carbonaceous
biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD5) and should not be confused with
the traditional BOD5 test method which measures ``total BOD''. The
addition of the nitrification inhibitor is not a procedural option,
but must be included to report the CBOD5 parameter.
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Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Test Method 410.4 (Detection
Limit = 3.0 mg/L),
pH Test Method 150.1 (none stated but not normally
reported below 0.01),\4\
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\4\ There is no US EPA Test Method listed in 40 CFR 136 so the
US EPA has adopted American Public Health Association (APHA)
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. The
current edition is the 22nd edition.
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Total Nitrogen \5\ 351.2 (Detection Limit = 0.5 mg/L),
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\5\ Total Nitrogen means the sum of total Kjeldahl nitrogen
(organic and ammoniacal nitrogen) nitrate-nitrogen and nitrite-
nitrogen.
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Total Phosphorus Test Method 365.2 (Detection Limit = 0.01 mg/L)
and Disinfectant residual
Chlorine Test Method 330.5 (Detection Limit = 0.2 mg/L)
The Coast Guard is also seeking information on possible simple on
board checks that may be available and easily used to verify
performance of a sewage treatment plant with effluent requirements.
This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
Dated: October 9, 2015.
F.J. Sturm,
Deputy Director, Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast
Guard.
[FR Doc. 2015-26285 Filed 10-15-15; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P