CHAPTER 247
An Act to direct the State Water Control Board to petition the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to approve the designation of Smith Mountain Lake as a no-discharge zone for boat sewage.
Approved April 7, 1998
Whereas, Smith Mountain Lake was recently approved as a safe source for public drinking water; and
Whereas, prohibiting the discharge of sewage from boats would improve water quality in Smith Mountain Lake; and
Whereas, Section 312 of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. § 1322) provides that a "State may completely prohibit the discharge from all vessels of any sewage, whether treated or not, into [any] waters, except that no such prohibition shall apply until the Administrator determines that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment from all vessels are reasonably available for such water to which such prohibition would apply"; now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. That the State Water Control Board shall petition the
Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to approve
the designation of Smith Mountain Lake as a no-discharge zone for boat sewage.
If such approval is granted, the Board shall prohibit the discharge from all
vessels of any sewage into Smith Mountain Lake.