Additional armchair opinion.......
I can understand the solids issue, but the bacterial issue from type 1 MSDs is not the problem
The following quote was from a Seattle newspaper article so lacking in factual info that of course it steers the general public. In many swimming areas, the bacterial countss are higher than what comes out of a working type 1 MSD. In many places that aren't NDZSs, they too have important shellfish beds (typical....not in my backyard mentality).... everyplace you go people talk about their "special" , beautiful waters.....
"The Sound’s shellfish beds, swimming beaches and protected areas are especially vulnerable to vessel sewage, the Ecology Department said in a press release. The sewage discharged contains relatively high concentrations of bacteria and viruses that can remain active even several miles or hours after entering the water."
This next quote came from the Washington State's Department of Ecology garnering the reports for the NDZ. Let's see, if a 1000 foot ship discharging into the sound with a MALFUNCTIONG system MAY reach some of those precious shellfish beds ....and it MAY cause illness.....gimme a break....and my 1 gallon flush every several hours of supertreated effluent is a threat?
"Assessment of Potential Health Impacts of Virus Discharge from Cruise Ships to Shellfish Growing Areas in Puget Sound. Washington State Department of Health/University of Washington, 2007
A study of potential human health impacts from virus discharges from large passenger vessels with results indicating that if advanced wastewater treatment systems malfunction, virus discharges from cruise ships may reach some shellfish beds at levels that may lead to illness. The report also provided a recommendation that no discharges from the advanced wastewater treatment systems should occur within 0.5 nautical miles of bivalve shellfish beds."
Nope...talk to me about solids and oxygen depletion...I can buy that. Same issue the Chesapeake has had for years. The main difference between the Chesapeake and Puget Sound ....more than one state and plenty of politicians at the federal and state level to go after the real culprits....not the few boaters with type 1 MSDs.
So I support being careful about the waters I boat on...but I believe in understanding my environment and try and make intelligent decisions about it. I can also clearly see that the science they are saying about small boats is faulty. The studis show how few Type 1 MSDs there are in the sound....here is what one article said...." Roughly 2 percent of vessels – about 215 commercial and 2,000 recreational – with limited treatment systems would need to add holding tanks, the Ecology Department announcement said.".*
So while I would probably be a good steward of the environment while boating the sound and try not to use my Type 1 MSD most of the time..... I hardly see the tiny bit of treated waste from a few vessels as a threat.
Personally, I see bad science and bad politics as the threat to the sound more than this one issue. I would bet like the Chesapeake, there are bigger threats and if issues like Cruise Ships do factor in, regulate them, but a total NDZ to me just means lazy homework and execution.