BOSTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is considering a proposal to ban discharging boat sewage in the coastal waters of six Cape Cod towns.

The Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management has petitioned the EPA to approve a “No Discharge” designation for Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown.

The EPA’s regional administrator, Curt Spalding, praised the move, saying protecting the local environment protects local economies. But before the agency will approve the petition, the state must show that there are enough nearby places for boats to get sewage tanks pumped out.

Most of the proposed area is within the Cape Cod National Seashore, which encompasses 43,500 acres.

Other New England areas have designated their coastal waters as “No Discharge” zones, including all state marine waters of Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

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