North Carolina - No Discharge Zone

[markpj23]

Saw this in the BWS newsletter:

The Division of Water Quality received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its petition to designate coastal waters along the entire length of New Hanover County as a No Discharge Zone - an area where the discharge of boat vessel sewage, both treated and untreated, is prohibited. The approval appeared in the federal register on Feb. 22 and the NDZ designation is now activated.

Waters affected by the prohibition include waters extending three nautical miles into the Atlantic Ocean along the entire length of New Hanover County.

Included are Futch Creek, Pages Creek, Bradley Creek, Hewlett's Creek, Howe Creek, Whiskey Creek, Snow's Cut and all unnamed tributaries and tidal creeks to those waters.

[s/v 'Faith']

Which is particularly interesting since many of the homes in New Hanover County built along the ICW have septic systems with field lines that run right down the bank and empty into the water....

[DaveC]

I thought it was already a federal regulation that you had to be at least 3 miles out to discharge sewage?

[Captain Bill]

You have to be 3 miles out to discharge untreated sewage. The No Discharge Zone makes it illegal to discharge treated effluent from perfectly legal and government approved type 1 and type 2 marine sanitation devices. Since the rule applies to boats not people, people on boats with these types of devices will just have to hang their butts over the side and discharge directly. Since this zone is on the ICW it's kind of like saying that air pollution devices required by the government are not legal in one county in NC on I-95 and that all cars that don't have a specific type of device approved by that county have to get off the road and go around the county.

[ronbo1]

Alert boaters were able to kill (for this year, at least) Maryland's proposed NDZ before it was made into law June 1st.

North Carolina boaters, or those passing through, now have to maintain a "pumpout log" or face fines!

From cruisersnet.net :

New Law: Pumpout Log to be required in NC And No-Discharge Zones Created

Posted by Larry | Posted on 05-05-2010



Please note that this is a change from existing NC law and entails a new responsibility for cruisers.
Subject: Pumpout Log
I learned last night that the NC Legislature has passed a bill requiring recreational vessel owners to keep a log of pumpouts starting on July 1, 2010.
Per NC House Bill 1378: “Vessel owner and operator required to keep log of pumpout dates. (a) Any owner or operator of a vessel that has a marine sanitation device shall maintain a record of the date of each pumpout of the marine sanitation device and the location of the pumpout facility. Each record shall be maintained for a period of one year from the date of the pumpout.” Also, “Section 1 of this act becomes effective July 1, 2010. Fines up to $10,000 may be assessed, and the regulation will be enforced by NC Wildlife officers, USCG and any other law officers with jurisdiction.”
Captain Wade Ehlen
Here’s a follow-up message from Captains Bob McLeran and Judy Young (Judy must be a long-lost cousin). As you will see, looks like portions of the NC coastline are about to become no-discharge zones.
Some areas of North Carolina will be “no discharge” zones commencing July 1st, and requiring all vessels to keep a log of pump outs and requires the owner to secure any overboard discharge valve.
Here’s a link to the bill:
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions...DF/H1378v6.pdf
Beyond the legal issues of notice (there are aspects of the bill defining “no discharge” areas that are totally confused and confusing) the one thing that caught my eye is the reference to 33 CFR in this phrase:
—–
The owner or operator of a vessel with a marine sanitation device shall keep the overboard waste discharge valves of the device secure by acceptable methods set forth under 33 C.F.R. ‘ 159.7(b) so as to prevent the discharge of treated or untreated sewage, except when lawfully
discharging sewage at a pumpout facility.
—–
33 CFR 159.7(b) states “(3) Using a non-releasable wire-tie to hold the seacock in the closed position . . . .” It doesn’t further define “wire-tie.”
Question for those who know: Does “wire-tie” as used in 33 CFR 159.7(b) include non-releasable plastic (wire) ties?
This question comes up every time we get a USCGA courtesy inspection or have the potty-patrol aboard for a get-gether.
Bob McLeran and Judy Young
Click to open a pdf version of the Pumpout Log.

[waterworldly]

yes, and EVERYONE will abide by it . . .

[gettinthere]

they expect a log book of every pumpout. but are they going to track our 'movements' when off the boat?? this is assinine

[dana-tenacity]

What about dessicating/composting loos like the airhead? Where's your pumpout log? Oh I never pump out.

[boden36]

Better not pump out the loo, it might disturb the oil slick! Regards, Richard.

[Captain Bill]

North Carolina managed to get this quietly passed last year. I never heard anything about this and I live there. Thanks for the info Ronbo1.

[markpj23]

Guess I'm just the 'anal' exception.... but my deck log reflects each time I pump out holding tanks, take on water, fuel... etc. Not a big deal for me...

[Surveyor]

Is a bucket considered a "marine sanitation device"?

[Denvermike66]

And this is one of the reasons why I am leaving this country. Hate to say it, but Really? Is this the true meaning to the poop deck! "Hey just poop on my deck... and I will spay it off! It's ok, it's Legal!" Not to mention that our Ocean is already half dead anyways! Just sayin...
Cheers all!
The Nu B