EPA permitting for recreational boats, nationwide

[kach22i]

Has anyone heard about this? What does it really mean?

EPA permitting for recreational boats, nationwide
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showt...=1#post3980506

Anyone aware of this situation and how serious it is for all recreational boaters. Looks like all boats need a permit and they might cost multiple hundreds of dollars for each boat. First I've heard of it in NY state. This is crazy, just a way to raise more revenue for no good application.

Federal Alerts
Action Alert: EPA Discharge Permit Requirement for Recreational Boats

May 15, 2008

The court imposed EPA permit requirement for all vessels in this country is now only 4 months away from impacting every boat owner in the country.

The only way to fix this is through federal legislation. Your ongoing help is needed in order to quickly pass S. 2766/H.R. 5949 "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" through Congress.
On May 1, Rep. La Tourette (R-OH) and Rep. Miller (R-MI) introduced H.R. 5949, which has identical language to S. 2766 "Clean Boating Act of 2008," introduced March 13th by Senator Boxer (D-CA) and Senator Nelson (D-FL). These bills both provide a permanent exemption for recreational boats from the EPA discharge permit requirement.
Yesterday the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed H.R. 5949 through a voice voter, so now it heads to a full House vote.

We anticipate the next step is that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will markup S. 2766, potentially on Wednesday May 21st. From there, the bill can go to the full Senate for a vote. Then the bill is expected to voted on in the House.

In the next few days it's important for the 19 members on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to hear from their constituents in their home states. If you live in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming, one of your Senators is on this critical committee! Please pick up the phone or email NOW! Even if you have contacted them before on this issue, we need them to hear your voice again.


May 15, 2008

Thanks to lots of help we now have co-sponsors on the new S. 2766 "The Clean Boating Act of 2008". Please take a look at this list below to view current co-sponsors. If you don't see your two Federal Senators Click here to send an email or Click here for phone numbers to call. We really need volume right now!
Current Co-sponsors of S. 2766

Sen Bayh, Evan [IN] Sen Bond, Christopher S. [MO]
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH]
Sen Bunning, Jim [KY] Sen Burr, Richard [NC]
Sen Cardin, Benjamin L. [MD] Sen Carper, Thomas R. [DE]
Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] Sen Cochran, Thad [MS]
Sen Coleman, Norm [MN] Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME]
Sen Corker, Bob [TN] Sen Craig, Larry E. [ID]
Sen Crapo, Mike [ID] Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT]
Sen Dole, Elizabeth [NC] Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA]
Sen Isakson, Johnny [GA] Sen Kohl, Herb [WI]
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] Sen Levin, Carl [MI]
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] Sen. Nelson, Bill [FL]
Sen Reed, Jack [RI] Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME]
Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] Sen Stabenow, Debbie [MI]
Sen Vitter, David [LA] Sen Voinovich, George V. [OH]
Sen Webb, Jim [VA] Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon [RI]
Sen Wicker, Roger F. [MS]
March 19, 2008

EPA Discharge Permit Requirement for Recreational Boats

Background:
For 34 years the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exempted discharges from recreational boats from the Clean Water Act permit system. Regretfully, a fall 2006 U.S. District Court ruling cancelled this permit exemption. EPA is now required by the court decision to develop and implement by September 30, 2008 a national permit system for ALL vessels in the United States for a variety of normal operational discharges.

The original lawsuit that led to this court decision sought to address ballast water discharges from large ocean-going ships, which can introduce damaging aquatic invasive species into U.S. waters. Keeping our waterways clean and preventing the spread of invasive species is of utmost importance to the future of boating. But taking a complex permitting system designed for industrial dischargers and applying it to recreational boats will not yield significant environmental benefits and it will come at a very high cost. Requiring recreational boaters to purchase a permit would not prevent the spread of invasive species.

If the permit system becomes a reality, you will be required to pay for a state permit for each of your boats. EPA will be potentially monitoring your deck runoff, grey water, bilge water, engine cooling water, and the use of copper bottom paints.

It is important to note that there are already federal laws restricting the overboard discharge of oil, fuel, garbage and sewage. The proposed legislation will not alter any of these existing restrictions.

March 19, 2008

NEW SPRING INFORMATION FOR BOATERS AND ANGLERS!
We have a new bill, S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008", that we need your help to support. This bill will provide a permanent exemption for recreational boaters, anglers, and charter boats, from the looming EPA discharge permit requirement.
Over the last 8 months or so, many people have taken the time to support S. 2067 or H.R. 2550 "The Recreational Boating Act of 2007". This new bill, S. 2766 has the best chance of gaining widespread political support from both Democrats and Republicans. It includes all the former contents of S. 2067 and H.R. 2550 as well as a provision to exempt charter boats from the permit and to required EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard to determine reasonable and practical management practices for discharges.

We urge every boater, anger, and boat owner to click on the following links to learn more about this new legislation. Please take a few minutes and let your federal Senators and Congressmen know about the importance of boating in your life, and ask them to co-sponsor or support this new legislation. Remember that if we don't get legislation passed, we all need to get EPA permits to operate our boats effective 9/30/08!

Click here to see our 3/19/08 press release

Click here to see today's Action Alert about S. 2766 "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" and to email your members of Congress

Click here for more information:
Background
What's the timing?
Why a new bill?
What are the differences in the bills?
What's S. 2766 include?
View S. 2766
Talking Points

[safewalrus]

Sounds like a good way to earn taxes (even if it does cost more to administrate than it makes) so I guess we're all going down that route - some sooner rather than later, is all!