[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 211 (Thursday, October 31, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58380-58381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23831]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-10001-82-Region 10]
Reissuance of NPDES General Permits for Aquaculture Facilities in
Idaho Excluding Facilities Discharging into the Upper Snake-Rock
Subbasin (IDG131000) and Aquaculture Facilities Located in Indian
Country in Idaho (IDG133000)
AGENCY: Region 10, Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Reissuance of NPDES General Permits.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Director of the Water Division, EPA Region 10, is
reissuing two National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
General Permits for: (1) Aquaculture Facilities in Idaho Excluding
Facilities Discharging into the Upper Snake-Rock Subbasin, and (2)
Aquaculture Facilities Located in Indian Country in Idaho. The General
Permits will authorize discharges of wastewater from cold and warm
water Concentrated Aquatic Animal Production facilities, (also referred
to as CAAPs or ``hatcheries''). The permits will largely replace and
combine IDG131000, the NPDES General Permit for Cold Water Aquaculture
Facilities in Idaho (not subject to Wasteload Allocations) and
IDG130000, the NPDES General Permit for Aquaculture Facilities in Idaho
(subject to Wasteload Allocations). Facilities covered under IDG130000
that are not within the Upper Snake-Rock Subbasin will be
[[Page 58381]]
terminated once coverage under IDG131000 or IDG133000 is available.
Facilities covered under IDG130000 that discharge within the Upper
Snake-Rock Subbasin are not affected by this action and will remain
covered under IDG130000. By separating out discharges from aquaculture
facilities located in Indian County in Idaho, where the EPA is the
permitting authority, under a separate General Permit (IDG133000), this
action will facilitate the transfer of IDG131000 to the State of Idaho
in 2020 as part of the phased implementation of Idaho's administration
of the NPDES Program.
DATES: The issuance date of the General Permit is October 31, 2019, the
date of publication of this notice. The General Permits will be
effective December 1, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the general permits, Fact Sheet, and Response to
Comments are available upon request. Written requests may be submitted
to: Water Division; USEPA Region 10; 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 155,
WD19-C04, Seattle, WA 98101-3188. Electronic requests may be sent to:
[email protected]. For requests by phone, call Audrey
Washington at (206) 553-0523. These documents can also be accessed
online on the EPA Region 10 website at: www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/draft-npdes-general-permits-aquaculture-facilities-idaho.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
There are approximately 25 facilities eligible for coverage under
the two General Permits. Aquaculture facilities may use one of several
types of production systems, including ponds, flow-through systems, and
recirculating systems. Most of the facilities eligible for coverage
under the General Permits use flow-through systems. Most facilities
have a quiescent zone at the bottom of their raceways to allow solids
and debris to settle out (where they can be vacuumed and removed) and
use a full-flow settling basin or offline settling basin to remove
sediment and associated pollutants prior to discharge.
The General Permits include numeric effluent limits for total
phosphorus and total suspended solids for all facilities and
temperature limits for some facilities, as well as prohibitions on
certain discharges and practices. Numeric limitations for facilities
may differ depending on applicable Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
Wasteload Allocations. The Permit includes reporting requirements for
usage of drugs and chemicals and the development of a Best Management
Practices Plan. Major changes from the 2007 General Permit include:
Removal of the percent total suspended solids removal requirement for
offline settling basins; prohibition on copper usage; the addition of
continuous temperature monitoring for some facilities; and
miscellaneous monitoring revisions.
Facilities will receive a written notification from the EPA whether
permit coverage and authorization to discharge under one of the General
Permits is approved.
The EPA received 30 comments from 5 entities during the public
comment period which extended from June 6, 2019 through July 22, 2019.
The EPA also received tribal and state CWA 401 certifications, which
can be found in Appendix D of the Fact Sheet. A Response to Comments
document was prepared, which explains any changes made to Permit
between proposal and final issuance.
The EPA has completed a Biological Evaluation for these Permit
actions. Consultation under the Endangered Species Act between the EPA
and the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service has been completed. The Services concurred on the
EPA's determination that the Permit actions are not likely to adversely
affect species listed under the Endangered Species Act or designated
critical habitat.
II. Other Legal Requirements
This action was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review under Executive Orders 12866, Regulatory Planning and
Review, and 13563, Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review, and was
determined to be not significant.
Compliance with Endangered Species Act, Essential Fish Habitat,
Paperwork Reduction Act, and other requirements are discussed in the
Fact Sheet to the permits.
Appeal of Permit: Any interested person may appeal the final permit
action within 120 days of October 31, 2019 (i.e., the issuance date of
this permit) in the Federal Court of Appeals in accordance with Section
509(b)(1) of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. 1369(b)(1).
Dated: October 23, 2019.
Daniel D. Opalski,
Director, Water Division, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 2019-23831 Filed 10-30-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P