EPA Gives Tentative Approval to NY's Plan to Stop Boats From Discharging Sewage in Huntington-Northport Bay Complex On Long Island.Business Editors & Environmental Writers NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 4, 2000 In a move that will improve shellfish shellfish, popular name for certain edible mollusks (see Mollusca), e.g., oysters, clams, and scallops, and for certain edible crustaceans, e.g., crabs, lobsters, and shrimps. All are aquatic invertebrates with shells; they are not fish. bed and beach quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and (EPA EPA eicosapentaenoic acid. EPA abbr. eicosapentaenoic acid EPA, n.pr See acid, eicosapentaenoic. EPA, n. ) has proposed to approve the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC NYSDEC New York State Department of Environmental Conservation ) plan to prohibit boats from discharging treated or untreated sewage into waters in the greater Huntington-Northport Bay Complex, which includes Lower Huntington and Northport Bays, Centerport, Northport, Duck Island Harbors and Price Bend. EPA and NYSDEC have determined that there are a sufficient number of pump-out facilities located in the area to receive the sewage from vessels. Sewage discharges from boats have been identified as a source of contamination affecting near shore water quality. EPA and NYSDEC have previously taken action to ban the discharge of treated sewage in Huntington Harbor and Lloyd Harbor and in certain portions of the Hudson River Hudson River River, New York, U.S. Originating in the Adirondack Mountains and flowing for about 315 mi (507 km) to New York City, it was named for Henry Hudson, who explored it in 1609. Dutch settlement of the Hudson valley began in 1629. . "This designation of the Huntington-Northport complex as a 'No Discharge Area' will help improve water quality, which improves the quality of local shell fish beds and public and private beaches in the area," said Jeanne M. Fox, EPA Region 2 Administrator. "Beaches and shell fishing are very important to communities along the north shore of Long Island, and curbing boat sewage will cut off at least one source of pollution." NYSDEC petitioned EPA in June 1999 to establish this "No Discharge Area." Under national marine sanitation standards, vessels operating in the bay complex are currently prohibited from discharging untreated sewage, but are allowed to discharge treated sewage from approved marine sanitation devices. If the "No Discharge Area" is approved, both treated and untreated vessel sewage will be prohibited. EPA will take public comments on its proposed approval for a thirty-day period after the proposal is published in the Federal Register. |
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