EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

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Estimates of Exposure Resulting from Discharges Authorized by the VGP and sVGP This section summarizes the modeling approach EPA used to estimate exposure of threatened and endangered species and their critical habitat to VGP-authorized discharges. Greater detail is provided in section 5 of EPA’s BE. Representative Action Areas (RAAs) were selected by EPA after consultation with the Services to be used to evaluate the potential exposure and effects of permitted discharges on listed aquatic and aquatic-dependent species, as well as their designated critical habitats. The following selection criteria were used to identify the RAAs evaluated in the BE: � High density of vessels covered under the VGP and sVGP to capture a reasonable “worst case” scenario; � Varying percentages of vessel types present to capture the variability in pollutant loading rates; � Selection of RAAs that provide broad coverage of diverse ecosystem types and broad geographical representation; � Selection of “special interest” locations with known or expected sensitivities for specific taxa and their critical habitats (i.e., Pacific coast salmonid populations, sea turtles in Gulf of Mexico, etc.) and/or specific vulnerabilities (e.g., historic introduction and spread of ANS in the Great Lakes). EPA’s NOI Summary Report and EPA’s Report to Congress on Vessel Discharges were used to identify the top Home/Hailing Ports for each vessel type. For vessels expected to be covered under the sVGPs (large and small), New York, NY; Houston, TX, and Seattle, WA were consistently among the top 10 port cities, as well as other ports such New Orleans, LA; Miami, FL; Los Angeles, CA; Norfolk, VA; Pittsburgh, PA; and St. Louis, MO (to name a few). Among these port cities, nearly all are representative of estuarine/marine ecosystems, except for inland port cities such as Jeffersonville (Indiana), Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Cincinnati (top port cities for barges on large inland rivers). Port cities on a large freshwater lake (Great Lakes) system do not appear to be among the most heavily trafficked. From this initial list of port cities, EPA selected seven RAAs for detailed evaluation in the BE that were both ecologically and geographically diverse and captured several special interest locations identified during preliminary informal consultation meetings with the Services (Table 24). 264
Table 24. RAAs Selected for Exposure Assessment Modeling to Represent Water Bodies and Ecosystems Inhabited by Listed Resources. Reference Waterbody Ecosystem Justification Port/Harbor Represented Represented Duluth, MN Lake Superior Freshwater Major port in sensitive “cold-water” Great Lakes Harbor [Great] Lake area with known ANS issues. Houston, Galveston Bay Estuarine/Marine RAA with large population of oil and gas tankers, TX barges, and cargo carriers. This area also encompasses nesting ground of listed sea turtles. Miami, FL Biscayne Bay Estuarine/Marine RAA with significant populations of cargo/bulk carriers and large population of cruise ships. Area encompasses extensive listed Johnson’s seagrass beds and represents a portion of Florida’s coral reef tract. In addition, Miami was requested to be an additional RAA during informal consultation with Services, in light of the presence of endangered species and their critical habitats with unique characteristics not found in other RAAs New York, Upper and Estuarine/Marine RAA with significant presence of all major vessel NY Lower New types, and in proximity to listed short nose York Bay sturgeon population along the Hudson River. RAA includes multiple critical habitat areas. San San Francisco Estuarine/Marine RAA with significant populations of cargo bulk Francisco, Bay Estuary carriers, utility boats, and commercial fishing CA vessels. Estuary is emblematic of one subjected to heavy ANS invasion. In addition, San Francisco was requested to be an additional RAA during informal consultation with Services due to the presence of a significant number of endangered and threatened species from a broad range of taxa and critical habitat areas. St. Louis, Upper Large RAA with large barge and supporting utility vessel MO Mississippi Freshwater River presence. The upper Mississippi River near St. River Louis also represents a large freshwater river ecosystem home to a sensitive listed freshwater unionid mussel species. Seattle, WA Puget Sound Estuarine/marine RAA with significant large and small commercial fishing vessel presence. Puget Sound near Seattle is home to several Pacific Northwest salmonid populations. Includes multiple critical habitats. EPA selected simple screening-level models to estimate exposure concentrations in the receiving water from vessel discharges covered under the VGP and sVGP. EPA selected the “fraction of freshwater model” to calculate receiving water concentrations in an estuarine harbor and a dilution equation to estimate receiving water concentrations in a river harbor. 265
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Endangered Species Act Section 7 Co
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Rockfish ..........................
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LIST of TABLES Table 1. Species Lis
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Agency: Activities Considered: Nati
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allast water volume. They also agre
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� Distillation and Reverse Osmosi
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� Conduct fueling in a manner tha
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stability of the ship. Any discharg
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� Annual calibration of ballast w
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The discharge of Tributyltin (TBT)
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For vessels covered under the VGP,
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For vessels covered under the VGP,
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waters (Appendix G, VGP). Non-Oily
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� Limiting use of hard brushes an
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adjusted upward for lower washwater
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� Dispose of the graywater at an
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� Appropriate reprimand procedure
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Under the VGP, the EPA authorizes t
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� Ensuring material storage, and
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2. Voyage Log. Include the dates an
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tanks in ballast. Use units of meas
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USC §1001 or 18 USC §1519. To mon
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discharges to an impaired water wit
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� Prevent monofilament line, fish
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Ballast Water. For vessels covered
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submitted or required to be maintai
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� Use soaps and detergents that a
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eports in time to make changes for
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for these components of an action);
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Regardless of whether an agency’s
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suspected to produce physical, phys
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Response Analyses We conduct a deta
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iotic phenomena to a degree that wo
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seaward a distance of three miles.
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Table 1. Species Listed as Threaten
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Based upon our analyses, we conclud
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11. Certain park pest management ac
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alter macroinvertebrate communities
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support one or more Chinook salmon
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quality growth, reproduction, and f
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quality and quantity, natural cover
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occurs in residence time in fresh w
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This ESU consists of a single spawn
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Status and Trends NMFS originally l
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Critical Habitat NMFS designated cr
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support one or more Chinook salmon
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Most of the chum within this ESU re
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On average Hood Canal chum salmon r
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estuaries and in fresh water coho s
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FR 24049). The designation encompas
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100,000 fish by the mid-1960s with
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1996). However, the decline in prod
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other tributaries flowing into Ozet
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Status and Trends Snake River socke
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parts of pools, while winter rearin
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Creek, Waddell Creek, Gazos Creek,
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1996). Steelhead in these basins tr
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Cowlitz Trout Hatchery winter-run p
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White Salmon River and Deschutes Cr
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Status and Trends NMFS listed North
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summer-run fish, comprising 37 of t
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status as threatened on January 5,
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elow the dam and the older dam coun
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extirpated due to dewatering or bar
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to 3,714 while naturally produced s
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The smolt migration past Willamette
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Movement, growth, and reproduction
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date, Atlantic salmon are listed in
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1997, Somero and Hofmann 1997, Van
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Southern Pacific Eulachon Eulachon
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Threats Natural Threats. Birds and
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are low in comparison to catch leve
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Female shortnose sturgeon spawn eve
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Anthropogenic Threats. Historic fis
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of all life stages in the riverine
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adults generally migrate upriver in
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Bocaccio are live-bearers with inte
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ycatch and habitat loss are also hu
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historical population in the Strait
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During each annual spawning event,
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Caribbean and Central America, the
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occur regularly in waters in excess
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Natural threats The primary natural
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diets (Reich et al. 2010, Vander Za
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fish, jellyfish, mollusks, and tuni
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sea turtle survival and recovery in
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Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys
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in leatherbacks and can block gastr
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the population has experienced a co
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Strandings may represent a signific
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eulachon, Pacific cod, walleye poll
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which makes it potentially vulnerab
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North Atlantic right whales exhibit
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impeded by competition with other w
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Southern Oceans. Most populations m
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Nemoto 1959, Nemoto 1970, Krieger a
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Natural threats The overriding thre
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planktonic larvae form before settl
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than 12% on many reefs (Rogers et a
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Critical habitat NMFS published a f
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Natural threats Natural pressures e
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Black abalone have also experienced
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2009). The largest known groups of
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areas compared to historical condit
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Louisiana parakeet (Conuropsis caro
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another 2.5 to 4°F during the wint
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Table 2. Phenomena associated with
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In addition to these changes, clima
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as other Chinook salmon populations
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Page 234 and 235: The uptake and discharge of ballast
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Page 238 and 239: Stressors Established ANS are stres
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Page 242 and 243: damage to mortality. Baleen whales
Page 244 and 245: While there are many examples of fr
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Page 248 and 249: VGP Authorized Discharge sVGP Autho
Page 250 and 251: for large cruise ships. The example
Page 252 and 253: EPA used information for commercial
Page 254 and 255: Aluminum, Total (μg/L) Cadmium, Di
Page 256 and 257: Exhaust Gas Scrubber Washwater Effl
Page 258 and 259: Table 16. Fish Hold Effluent and Cl
Page 260 and 261: Graywater and Graywater Mixed with
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Page 266 and 267: Table 23. Decision Process for thos
Page 268 and 269: Table 23. Decision Process for thos
Page 272 and 273: For the fraction of freshwater mode
Page 274 and 275: Table 26. Estimated Receiving Water
Page 280 and 281: Geographical Distribution and Overl
Page 282 and 283: Bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis), Ca
Page 284 and 285: mg/L (USEPA 2008). Average phosphor
Page 286 and 287: esponse follows a “one hit” mod
Page 288 and 289: species. (Glazebrook and Campbell 1
Page 290 and 291: from large cruise vessels. The sour
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Page 294 and 295: physiological damage to the recepto
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Page 300 and 301: Table 33. Application of the Ecosys
Page 302 and 303: metabolism of organic chemicals. Wh
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Page 308 and 309: A later study by the same workers r
Page 310 and 311: (1) Scope In this section, we ask w
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methodologies and understanding of
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traditionally requires applying dat
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In conclusion, the Service evaluate
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The VGP requires that vessel operat
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justified the application of signif
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Integration and Synthesis The EPA p
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population and a competitor could e
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Second, EPA will monitor pollutants
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is incidental to and not intended a
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minimize or avoid adverse effects o
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Adey, W. H. 1978. Coral reef morpho
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acidification causes bleaching and
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State University, Arcada, Californi
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and high-use areas of western Pacif
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Blum, J. P. 1988. Assessment of fac
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(Special Issue) 2:245-250. Browning
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Conservation 78:97-106. Carlton, J.
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River-specific target spawning requ
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pinniger in Canada. Committee on th
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comparison of reef maps from 1881 a
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Dustan, P. 1985. Community structur
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Erickson, D. L. and J. E. Hightower
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(Eubalaena glacialis). Aquatic Mamm
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Gilmore, M. D. and B. R. Hall. 1976
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London. Groot, C. and L. Margolis.
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Hanson, B., R. W. Baird, and G. Sch
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HDLNR. 2002. Application for an ind
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trawl fishery 1962-64. Washington D
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Comprehensive Guide to their Identi
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Yellowstone Ecosystem. Journal of t
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San Juan archipelago. Washington De
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Littell, J. S., M. M. Elsner, L. C.
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American Meteorological Society 78:
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and D. G. McDonald, editors. Global
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Mieog, J. C., J. L. Olsen, R. Berke
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Moser, H. G. 1967. Reproduction and
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offshore waters of the North Pacifi
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NMFS. 2008d. National Marine Fisher
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polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. E
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pectinata (Elasmobranchiomorphi: Pr
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(Lepidochelys kempii). Journal of H
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T. B. B. Smith, R., C. F. G. Jeffre
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Margolis, editors. Pacific Salmon L
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36:447-453. Seminoff, J. A., A. Res
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idley sea turtles: Evidence from ma
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Marine Ecology-Progress Series 377:
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Quality Criteria for Oil and Grease
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Veracruz, Mexico. United States Fis
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Virnstein, R. W. and L. J. Morris.
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Scotian Rivers have not declined in
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Williams, R., D. E. Bain, J. K. B.
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under the Endangered Species Act. W
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EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

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