Sewage Discharges from Boats Banned

While I'm not sure how anyone will monitor such actions, it's great to hear that all of Connecticut's waters in Long Island Sound are now part of a "No Discharge Area," making it illegal for boaters to discharge sewage from their vessels anywhere in the state's portion of the Sound.

A "No Discharge Area" is a designated body of water in which the discharge of treated as well as untreated boat sewage is prohibited. Boaters in "No Discharge Areas" are required to use pumpout facilities or pumpout boats to dispose of any waste.

Connecticut's first "No Discharge Area" was approved by EPA and designated in the Stonington area in 2003, followed by the Mystic/Groton area in 2004 and the Groton to Guilford area in 2006. The final portion is the Branford to Greenwich stretch of Long Island Sound announced today. DEP requested the No Discharge designation for this area in May 2006.

Governor Rell said, "Long Island Sound is Connecticut's most precious natural resource. Gaining this designation today recognizes our commitment to protect both the quality of the Sound and the health of the public. We are pleased to see our vision of a healthy Long Island Sound becoming a reality. I thank EPA and DEP for the hard work and cooperation it took to designate the entire Sound a No Discharge Area. "Thanks to Governor Rell's leadership, the 21 million people who live within 50 miles of Connecticut's coastline will enjoy a cleaner Long Island Sound," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "Connecticut is now one of only three states in the U.S. to designate their entire coastline a no discharge area, and that's a big step toward improved water quality. Eliminating sewage discharges from boats means cleaner beaches, cleaner shellfish beds and cleaner boating."

McCarthy said, "Preserving the quality of Connecticut's waters including Long Island Sound is a top priority for DEP. Designating all of Long Island Sound as a No Discharge Area will help us accomplish this goal. Completion of this process shows that we are ready to do what it takes to preserve Long Island Sound and the spectacular natural resources and aquatic life it contains for the enjoyment of everyone who lives in Connecticut or visits our state."

"With Connecticut's entire shoreline now declared a No Discharge Area, the state's boaters are helping to take charge of their portion of the environment," said Grant W. Westerson, Executive Director of the Connecticut Marine Trades Association. "Each and every boater applauds the opportunity to help give this wonderful asset, Long Island Sound, a brighter, cleaner, and healthier future.  Boating is good clean fun - and we are going to keep it that way."

Detail on "No Discharge Areas"

To qualify as a "No Discharge Area," an area must have enough pump-out facilities where boaters can get their holding tanks pumped out. In its application for the Branford to Greenwich portion of the Sound, the DEP identified a total of 43 available pumpout facilities including 31 fixed shore-based facilities, five portable facilities, and seven pumpout boats.

Other areas in New England designated as a "No Discharge Area" include: All of Rhode Island's marine waters, including Block Island's Great Salt Pond; Harwich, Waquoit Bay, Nantucket Harbor, Wellfleet, Barnstable, Buzzards Bay (including Wareham and Westport), and Plymouth/Duxbury Kingston area in Massachusetts; all of New Hampshire's coastal waters; Casco Bay in Maine; and Lake Champlain and Lake Menphremagog in Vermont and New York.

For more information on Connecticut's "No Discharge Area" program, please access the project website at: www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2705&q=323816&depNav_GID=1711

For information on Long Island Sound programs, contact Rick Huntley, Clean Vessel Act and Clean Marina Coordinator, in the DEP Office of Long Island Sound Programs (OLISP) at (860) 424-3034 or rick.huntley@po.state.ct.us.

SOURCE: State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection