U.S. EPA Orders Guam Shipyard to Obtain Storm Water Discharge Permit

Sept. 13, 2019

 In addition to the permit, the EPA also ordered the facility to achieve compliance with the Clean Water Act.

Guam Shipyard has been ordered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to obtain a storm water discharge permit. 

On Sept. 12, the U.S. EPA also ordered the facility to achieve compliance with the Clean Water Act for discharges of pollutants into Apra Harbor, Guam. 

“Ship repair facilities must have stormwater pollution controls to protect coastal ecosystems,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker in the release. “This order will prevent pollution from reaching Apra Harbor.”

Since at least January 2016, the shipyard has run a ship repair facility on Cabras Island in Piti, Guam, where it operates industrial activities, such as boat repair, sandblasting, high-pressure washing, painting and material storage, the EPA’s release said. 

The property was inspected by the U.S. EPA in September 2018, where it was found to be violating the Clean Water Act. According to the EPA’s release, the agency found that the shipyard has been discharging pollutants in storm water and process wastewater associated with industrial activity without permit authorization from the Clean Water Act. 

 In addition, inspectors from the U.S. EPA found that the shipyard failed to control blasting grit, paint particles and debris. These were discharged directly into Apra Harbor. The facility also did not have adequate secondary containment for oils, did not have spill response equipment available and had a large quantity of waste materials throughout the site, the EPA’s release said.  

According to the release, the shipyard will do the following per the order:

  • Obtain permit authorization;

  • Develop a storm water pollution prevention plan;

  • Capture non-storm water discharges to prevent entry into Apra Harbor;

  • Ensure spill response equipment is available on site; and 

  • Install adequate controls to contain sandblast and abrasive blast materials. 

In 2018, the U.S. EPA reached an agreement with the Cabras Marine Corp. in Guam after the agency found it to be in violation of the Clean Water Act. During an inspection, the EPA found that the Cabras Marine Facility was violating the act in multiple ways, including discharging industrial storm water without a permit, failing to properly maintain containment berms, failing to control sandblast grit and paint particles, improperly storing used oil and having inadequate control for leaking oil. 

Read related articles to the EPA and storm water discharge.