The Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has modified the scope of an application for the designation of a "no-discharge zone." In 1998, the EOEA submitted a proposal to the EPA for a "no-discharge" designation encompassing all coastal waters within the jurisdiction of the state. In 1999, the application was withdrawn due to the substantial costs associated with providing the requisite pump-out facilities and strong opposition from local communities. The EOEA has now decided to pursue "no-discharge" designations for individual embayments and/or areas of particular environmental concern. The agency is preparing an application for Buttermilk Bay, located at the southern end of the Cape Cod Canal.