환경보호국과 뉴욕 환경보호부(NYDEC)는 이리호 물가를 'No Discharge Zone'으로 공표하기 위해 협력했다고 밝혔다. 'No Discharge Zone'은 보트의 하수 방출을 완전하게 금지한다는 의미를 갖는다.

환경보호국은 호수 보호를 위한 No Discharge Zone 추진에 관한 뉴욕 환경보호부의 제안을 검토하고 보트의 하수 배출을 위한 적합한 시설을 결정했다. 배를 타는 사람들은 반드시 특별히 지정된 방출 장소에 하수를 배출해야한다. 이 조치는 보트의 하수 방출이 주의 수로에 유입되는 것을 방지하기 위한 뉴욕주의 전략과 환경보호국의 협력이라고 밝혔다.

Both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) have partnered to declare the New York side of the Lake Erie shoreline a "No Discharge Zone," meaning boats are completely banned from discharging sewage into the water.

The EPA reviewed the NYDEC's proposal to establish a No Discharge Zone for the lake and determined that there are adequate facilities in the area for boats to pump out their sewage. Boaters must now dispose of their sewage at one of the lake's specially-designated pump-out stations. This action is part of a joint EPA and New York State strategy to eliminate the discharge of sewage from boats into the state's waterways.
 
The No Discharge Zone for the New York State portion of Lake Erie is a 593-square-mile area and 84 miles that includes the waters of the lake from the Pennsylvania-New York State boundary, as well as the Upper Niagara River and numerous other tributaries, harbors and bays of the Lake, including Barcelona Harbor, Dunkirk Harbor and the Buffalo Outer Harbor. Lake Erie and its harbors, bays, creeks, and wetlands support fish-spawning areas and habitat, commercial and recreational boating, and recreational opportunities.

The NYDEC petitioned the EPA in July 2012. The EPA initially made a determination in December 2012 that adequate sewage pump-out facilities exist and that the state's proposal to designate areas of Lake Erie as a No Discharge Zone can go forward. The EPA received significant comments questioning the availability of sewage pump-out facilities, particularly for larger vessels, and the EPA conferred with New York State to gather more information.

Accordingly, that information gathering was completed, and in September of 2013, the EPA re-proposed its determination that there are adequate facilities. The EPA has now finalized its decision, which went into effect on June 20, 2014.

[출처 = Water World / 2014년 7월 3일]