Uniform National Discharge Standards for Vessels of the Armed Forces

This rule applies to discharges incidental to the normal operation of Armed Forces vessels and determines which of these discharges the Armed Forces will be required to control by using a marine pollution control device (MPCD), and which discharges will not require controls. Today's rule also establishes the mechanism by which States can petition EPA and DOD to review whether or not a discharge should require control by a MPCD or to review a Federal performance standard for a MPCD; and the processes EPA and States must follow to establish no-discharge zones (where any release of a specified discharge is prohibited). This rule completes the first phase of a three-phase process to set uniform national discharge standards (UNDS) for Armed Forces vessels. This Phase I rule determines the types of vessel discharges that require control by MPCDs and which do not, based on consideration of the anticipated environmental effects of the discharge and other factors listed in the Clean Water Act. Future rulemakings will promulgate the MPCD performance standards for those types of discharges requiring MPCDs (Phase II), and specify the requirements for the design, construction, installation, and use of MPCDs (Phase III). Uniform national discharge standards will result in enhanced environmental protection because standards will be established for certain discharges that currently are not regulated comprehensively. These standards will also advance the ability of the Armed Forces to better design and build environmentally sound vessels, to train crews to operate vessels in a manner that is protective of the environment, and to maintain operational flexibility both domestically and internationally. In addition, these standards are expected to stimulate the development of innovative vessel pollution control technology.