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          §
sewagi
 Our coastal resources are a national treasure, providing recre-
 ation, income and beauty. We all know that the health of our
 coastal waters is constantly threatened by pollution from indus-
 try, agriculture,  and urbanization.
     you
                 can put the same
                into the water as
                sewage from -one
                 of bacterial poSlution
                            a
    impacts of improper vessel sewage discharge increase in high traffic areas.
•f^thi)geris;;found[iw "untreated  sewage^ cainVca;use extreme --
/.illness, and .•eyemdeath. jwheri; ingested:'by humans./  :

 Untreated vessel: sewage dischatge is capable of suffocating
•$nj'm'afe.a'hd-pla^
 coral .reef commu.nities arid;shellfish: beds are particularly sensi-
 tive totherJmpactsfrom:Untreated;sewage,   :  ..-  ,: ,       '

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Improper discharge  can cause  illness
     of income to others!
Over 33,000 square miles (24 million acres) of U.S.
coastal and  estuarme waters are classified as shellfish
(clam, mussel, and oyster) growing waters.  Annual
commercial
harvests
yield about
77 million
pounds of
shellfish,
worth an
estimated
200 million
dollars.
'Shellfish
often
-accumulate
contaminants,
from the
environment^
Eating
contami-
nated shell-
fish, espe-
cially when ra^ or partially o
. health risk to  J|
humans      *|f

Since the earIO920%
been monitoringJhe nabsnjs s
                 Fewer shellfish bed closures result in safer and
                 more abundant harvests for consumers.
                                  poses-considerabie
                                         -Services; has
                                         lor bacterial
                                     L V*
shellfish  due fd^poor wat^r qualify  Untreated sewage
discharge from floats was-found |o account for approxi-
mately 13% of|hose restrictions. *

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            can
     resources on
Vessel sewage discharges increase bioerosion of coral reeds
making them susceptible to collapse.
 Cora! reefs are one of the most spectacular and diverse
 ecosystems on earth.  U.S. coral reef communities can be
 found in the Florida Keys, the Southern Atlantic, the Gulf of
 Mexico,
 the
 Carib-
 bean, and.
 the
 Western .
 Pacific.  V

 Cora! reef-
 tourism
 provides
 significant
 income to
 Florida,
 Hawaii,                           .  ^
 and the U*.S. Virgin isands. Home to over 1 million species,
 coral reefs also support valuable commercial and recre-
 ational fisheries.

 Coral reefs-protect nearby coastal areas by reducing shore-
 line erosion arid providing storm protection by acting as
 natural stoitn surge barriers. They are also believed to be
 important ^untapped sources ;of medicines and
 bjomedicals.;  Coral reefs are extremely sensitive to sewage
 discharge and often1 act as indicators that the.ocean waters
 in which they: live are -polluted;  Unlike shellfish beds,
-,-howeve^.-0nee they.are;gone, they, are .gone- forever....

 Sadly, it is Estimated that .10% of all coral, reefs worldwide
 have been damaged beyond repair, and another 30% are in
 critical condition and likely to die within 10-20 years. The;
 impact fromJsewage plays a role in the decline of,coral  ;•
 reefs.  •* ;.•'      .                            '  •   ';-Vl; '

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 Federal      State Agencies Doing Their Part!
The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 was established to
protect and restore our natural aquatic resources.  Section
312 of the CWA mandates the use of marine sanitation
devices (MSDs) on all vessels equipped with installed toilets.

There are three type of MSDs. Type i and Type II  MSDs (for
vessels less than 65 feet and those equal to or greater than 65
feet, respectively) disinfect and treat sewage to reduce bacte-
ria and solids.  Treated sewage from Type I and Type II MSDs
may be discharged at any location except within designated
no-discharge zones (NDZs). Type ill MSDs are holding tanks.
that provide minimal sewage treatment and can be installed
on vessels of any size. Therefore,,It is illegal to discharge the:
contents of Type III MSDs in any U.S. territorial waters
(within 3 nautical miles of shore).  Type III MSDs can only
be emptied at designated on-shore pumpout and dump
facilities or beyond 3 nautical miles from shore.
            *            t
                                                  •f    >
With the approval of EPA, States can designate a portion or
all of their waters as NDZs, making .all vessel sewage dis-
charges illegal. States often establish NDZs if they can
demonstrate to EPA that safe and adequate pumpout and
dump facilities are available.         .                :

NDZ designations are also issued as EPA regulations follow- ;
ing State applications to EPA for NDZs:

«      if prohibiting vessel sewage discharge is needed
       to protect environmentaly sensitive areas such as
       shellfish beds, coral reefs, and/or fish spawning
       areas
 ©     if the water body is a.drinking water source.

To initiate the NDZ process, an interested party, group, or
local government can discuss its concerns with the appropri-
ate State agency that addresses vessel sewage discharges.

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•  Know the Law (http:/wwWoepa.gov.owow/
   oceans/regs/vsdmsdl.html)
•  Know what type of marine sanitation device
   '(MSD) is installed on your boat.

•  Use
•  Use pumpout facilities.  Look for
   symbol.
•  Do not discharge waste from any type of MSD
   In a designated no-discharge zone (NDZ). .  - .

-.*'.  Report vessel'.sewage discharge violations to;
    the local Coast Guard.
•' Encourage marina owners and operators to pro-
   vide clean and safe onshore restrooms and  t
 • Support your local estuary program (hftp://
   www.epa.gov/owow/estuarles/nep=htmt)o

 Did You Know that there is a National Estuary
 Program that assists • in addressing the impact
';of se'wage on'.-ihe.- aquatic environment? •  •••'  .'..,,;.'.'

 The/National Estuary Program (NEP), established in
 1987 under the Clean Water Act, is a collection of18
 community-bassed paratnerships taking responsibility
: for managing their estuaries, the NEPs have played a
 significant role in establishing.NDZs, increasing
 awareness:about clean boating, and establishing
 pumpout and dump facilities. For example:

; «•   San Francisco 'Estuary Program assisted in the-  •
      a  a    .** ___'•.
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