Topic 22

51. Infrastructure construction and waste disposal should be conducted responsibly.

From "A National Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Research" prepared by the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Aquaculture (NSTC  2022):

Goal 2. Improve Aquaculture Production Technologies and Inform Decision-making

Objective 2.2: Develop and refine production technologies to increase environmentally responsible food production and contribute ecosystem services

The need for practices to increase food production in a way that avoids or minimizes harm to the environment resonates globally in all agricultural production sectors, including aquaculture. Successful aquaculture depends on healthy ecosystems that provide clean water and nutrient cycling that processes or reuses wastes and co-products. In the United States, aquaculture’s environmental performance has improved dramatically during the past 20 years, driven by the need for more efficient use of resources and inputs due to rising costs of fuel and feed, increased awareness of environmental issues associated with aquaculture, application of science-based best management practices, technological innovation, knowledge about proper siting of facilities, and evolving aquaculture-specific environmental regulations at the State and Federal levels. Commercial aquaculture production in the United States operates under some of the most stringent environmental requirements in the world. Similarly, Federal agencies adhere to sound science and best management practices when employing aquaculture to fulfill their recovery and restoration missions.

Efficient and effective aquaculture production systems reduce inputs, operating costs, and wastes and create optimal conditions for growth, adaptability, and reproduction. Production efficiency and animal or plant well-being start with properly matching species to appropriate production environments and market demands. Defining optimal conditions requires a comprehensive understanding of the physiology of early development, growth, nutrition, stress response, and reproduction.

Aquaculture must not only have minimal impacts on host environments, but wherever possible it must contribute services that regenerate ecosystems, contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The following actions will improve production efficiency and develop new aquaculture production strategies that minimize environmental impacts. The agencies listed below will support or conduct R&D activities or consult with science programs to identify research priorities and form science-based policy.

• Action 2.2.1 DOC NOAA (NMFS, NOS, SG), USDA (ARS, NIFA), DOI (USGS), and DOE (ARPA-E, BETO) will support or conduct research to document the ecosystem services provided by aquaculture and identify new opportunities to utilize them, including increasing the effectiveness of monitoring environmental conditions in remote offshore environments.

• Action 2.2.2 DOC NOAA (SG), USDA (NIFA), and HHS (FDA) will conduct or support research to support innovation in aquaculture, traceability, and identification.

• Action 2.2.3 DOC NOAA (NMFS, SG) and DOI (USFWS) in association with State agencies and others will develop aquaculture methods that cost-effectively enhance, preserve, and rebuild wild stocks and their ecosystems.

From Fujita et al. (2023) "Toward an environmentally responsible offshore aquaculture industry in the United States: Ecological risks, remedies, and knowledge gaps":

For both open and closed systems, infrastructure that keeps the tops of nets from submerging and constructing nets from durable materials like copper alloy mesh will also lower chances of escape.

From Bohnes et al. (2018) "Life cycle assessments of aquaculture systems: a critical review of reported findings with recommendations for policy and system development":

In parallel to developing new technologies, some solutions have been studied to reduce impacts of existing ones, such as a RAS based on a new Danish concept with a low energy consumption (d’Orbcastel et al. 2009) or the use of more environmentally-sustainable materials like copper-alloys instead of nylon for net-pens thanks to the absence of antifouling coatings (Ayer et al. 2016).

Subchapter I In General

§ 403  Obstruction of navigable waters generally; wharves; piers, etc.; excavations and filling in

The creation of any obstruction not affirmatively authorized by Congress, to the navigable capacity of any of the waters of the United States is prohibited; and it shall not be lawful to build or commence the building of any wharf, pier, dolphin, boom, weir, breakwater, bulkhead, jetty, or other structures in any port, roadstead, haven, harbor, canal, navigable river, or other water of the United States, outside established harbor lines, or where no harbor lines have been established, except on plans recommended by the Chief of Engineers and authorized by the Secretary of the Army; and it shall not be lawful to excavate or fill, or in any manner to alter or modify the course, location, condition, or capacity of, any port, roadstead, haven, harbor, canal, lake, harbor of refuge, or inclosure within the limits of any breakwater, or of the channel of any navigable water of the United States, unless the work has been recommended by the Chief of Engineers and authorized by the Secretary of the Army prior to beginning the same.

Subchapter I Research and Related Programs

§ 1251 Congressional declaration of goals and policy

(a) Restoration and maintenance of chemical, physical and biological integrity of Nation's waters; national goals for achievement of objective

The objective of this chapter is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.

(b) Congressional recognition, preservation, and protection of primary responsibilities and rights of States

It is the policy of the Congress to recognize, preserve, and protect the primary responsibilities and rights of States to prevent, reduce, and eliminate pollution, to plan the development and use (including restoration, preservation, and enhancement) of land and water resources, and to consult with the Administrator in the exercise of his authority under this chapter.

Subpart B - Current Good Manufacturing Practice

§ 507.19 Sanitation.

(a) Buildings, structures, fixtures, and other physical facilities of the plant must be kept clean and in good repair to prevent animal food from becoming adulterated.

§ 322.1 General.

This regulation prescribes, in addition to the general policies of 33 CFR part 320 and procedures of 33 CFR part 325, those special policies, practices, and procedures to be followed by the Corps of Engineers in connection with the review of applications for Department of the Army (DA) permits to authorize certain structures or work in or affecting navigable waters of the United States pursuant to section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403) (hereinafter referred to as section 10). See 33 CFR 320.2(b). Certain structures or work in or affecting navigable waters of the United States are also regulated under other authorities of the DA. These include discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, including the territorial seas, pursuant to section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344; see 33 CFR part 323) and the transportation of dredged material by vessel for purposes of dumping in ocean waters, including the territorial seas, pursuant to section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1413; see 33 CFR part 324). A DA permit will also be required under these additional authorities if they are applicable to structures or work in or affecting navigable waters of the United States. Applicants for DA permits under this part should refer to the other cited authorities and implementing regulations for these additional permit requirements to determine whether they also are applicable to their proposed activities.

Subpart A Flow-Through and Recirculating Systems Subcategory

§ 451.11 Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT).

Except as provided in 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing point source subject to this subpart must meet the following requirements, expressed as practices (or any modification to these requirements as determined by the permitting authority based on its exercise of its best professional judgment) representing the application of BPT: 

(c) Structural maintenance.  The permittee must: 

(1) Inspect the production system and the wastewater treatment system on a routine basis in order to identify and promptly repair any damage. 

(2) Conduct regular maintenance of the production system and the wastewater treatment system in order to ensure that they are properly functioning.

Chapter 5: Physical Plant

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

A well-planned, well-designed, well-constructed, properly maintained and managed facility is an important element of humane animal care and use as it facilitates efficient, economical, and safe operation (see Appendix A, Design and Construction of Animal Facilities)...

Effective planning and design should include input from personnel experienced with animal facility design, engineering, and operation, as well as from representative users of the proposed facility... An animal facility should be designed and constructed in accord with all applicable building codes;...

Building materials for animal facilities should be selected to facilitate efficient and hygienic operation. Durable, moisture- and vermin-proof, fire resistant, seamless materials are most desirable for interior surfaces, which should be highly resistant to the effects of cleaning agents, scrubbing, high pressure sprays, and impact. Paints and glazes should be nontoxic if used on surfaces with which animals will have direct contact. In the construction of outdoor facilities, consideration should be given to surfaces that withstand the elements and can be easily maintained.

SEC. III Public Health Reasons and Explanations

Chapter XV. Depuration

.03 Other Model Ordinance Requirements

A. Plants and Grounds.

The grounds about a depuration plant must be free from conditions that may result in contamination of shellfish at any time during processing and storage. The plant building or structure shall be suitable in size, construction, and design to prevent contamination of shellfish by animals and other pests; to keep untreated and treated shellfish separate; and to facilitate adequate cleaning, sanitizing, operation, and maintenance of the depuration facilities. Processing tanks, containers, piping and conveyances must be enclosed within a protective structure.

Bohnes, F. A., Hauschild, M. Z., Schlundt, J., & Laurent, A. 2018. Life cycle assessments of aquaculture systems: a critical review of reported findings with recommendations for policy and system development. Reviews in Aquaculture, 11(4): 1061-1079. https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12280

Fujita, R., Brittingham, P., Cao, L., Froehlich, H., Thompson, M., and Vorrhees, T. 2023. Toward an environmentally responsible offshore aquaculture industry in the United States: Ecological risks, remedies, and knowledge gaps. Marine Policy. 147: 105351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2022.105351 

NSTC.  2022. A National Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Research. Prepared by the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Aquaculture. February 2022. Available at: https://www.ars.usda.gov/animal-production-and-protection/aquaculture/docs/national-strategic-plan-federal-aquaculture-research/