Action Alert: EPA Discharge Permit Requirement for Recreational Boats

President Bush Signs Clean Boating Act of 2008!

July 30, 2008

It's a great day for boating! Last night on the way home from Ohio on Air Force One, the President signed S. 2766 "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" into law. This picture shows Representatives Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH), a champion of this common sense legislation and Patrick Tiberi (R-OH). Thank you to the thousands of boaters nationwide who helped get this important bill passed into law!

Margaret Podlich

VP Government Affairs, BoatU.S.

Photo credited by Christopher Greenberg

July 23, 2008

We are thankful to the many BoatUS Members and boaters nationwide as well as the huge coalition of boating and fishing groups who have been so active on this topic, helping us get the Clean Boating Act through Congress and ready for the President to sign! Thank you so much!

To view a copy of S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" Click Here.

Of course, we couldn't have done this without great support in Congress, from Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House. On behalf of boaters everywhere, our thanks go out to these folks in the Senate:
Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida)
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California)
Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
Senator Richard Burr (R-North Carolina)
Senator Mel Martinez (R-Florida)
Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wisconsin)
Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma)
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York)

And Senator Bill Nelson and all of the 39 cosponsors of the bill in the Senate:

In the House of Representatives big thanks go to:
Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee James Oberstar (D-Minnesota)
Ranking Member John Mica (R-Florida)
Representative Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio)
Representative Candice Miller (R-Michigan)
Representative Gene Taylor (D-Miss.)

And Representative Steve LaTourette and all the many cosponsors of the bill are to be thanked and congratulated for their hard work and skillful leadership:

We are standing by for President Bush's signature.

July 23, 2008

NEWS From BoatU.S.
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatU.S. News Room at http://www.BoatUS.com/news/releases.asp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact: Margaret Podlich, 703-461-2878 x8355, MPodlich@BoatUS.com

CONGRESS RESTORES 35-YEAR EXEMPTION FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS
FROM PROPOSED EPA PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS

NO NEW PERMIT FOR BOATS REQUIRED

ALEXANDRIA, VA, July 22, 2008 - In a remarkable display of bipartisan support for recreational boating, both the House and Senate today passed S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" which will permanently restore a long-standing exemption for recreational boats from permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act. The legislation now goes to the White House for the President's signature.

Congressional action was spawned by a U.S. District Court decision in September 2006 under which an estimated 17 million recreational boats would have fallen under Clean Water Act permit requirements effective September 30, 2008. The permit would have dictated maintenance and operation procedures and potentially subjected boaters to citizen lawsuits as well as a penalty system designed for industrial polluters.

"This is a fabulous victory for common sense and it just goes to show what can be done when the boating public, the marine industry and its representatives in Congress row together in a bipartisan way," said BoatU.S. President Nancy Michelman.

BoatU.S. Government Affairs Director Margaret Podlich was quick to shower praise on a boatload of legislators who did much of the heavy lifting including Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Representatives Jim Oberstar (D-MN), Steve LaTourette (R-OH), Candice Miller (R-MI) and Gene Taylor (D-MS). A complete listing of all legislators involved will be available at http://www.BoatUS.com/gov soon.

BoatU.S. has worked for more than a year with the National Marine Manufacturers Association and a broad coalition of stakeholders to resolve the problem before the permitting deadline.

"One of the real keys to success here was our collective ability to activate the grassroots," said Podlich, noting that tens of thousands of letters and e-mails were generated by boaters and anglers over the course of the past 12 months.

BoatU.S. is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boat owners with over 650,000 members.

###

June 27, 2008

The Draft EPA Permit for Recreational Boat Discharges:
What's it mean for boaters?

Effective September 30, 2008, every boat in the U.S. will be required to operate under an EPA discharge permit. On June 17, 2008 the EPA issued a draft permit for discharges from recreational or uninspected passenger vessels less than 79’. (There is a separate permit for other vessels.) This permit is open for public comments until August 1, 2008.

Important facts about the permit:

• All boats need a permit when in the “waters of the United States” in all states and territories, and extending into the ocean 3 miles.
  
• You must allow EPA, their contractor, the USCG, or state authority to inspect your vessel, and take discharge samples.
  
• If you don't comply with the permit requirements, each day is a separate Clean Water Act violation and each violation is subject to a $32,500 penalty.
  
• You may be sued under the Clean Water Act citizen lawsuit provisions.

How does this work?
It starts out easy. The initial permit is a 5 year national permit that automatically includes all boats and has no fee. However, every state is required to approve the national permit before 9/30/08, at which time they can add their own set of requirements for boaters. (By the way, if your state doesn’t meet this deadline, all boats in the state are operating illegally until the state approves the permit.)

The future permit requirements both national and state by state are unknown.

• EPA will allow the permits to be issued by states, where they may be further customized and states can charge a fee. Boaters may need multiple permits (multiple fees, multiple discharge regulations, additional paperwork) to legally cruise between states.
  
• EPA may impose additional limitations on a site-specific basis or require that you obtain an individual permit if they determine your discharges are not adequate for the waters you are in. This means multiple permits may be needed to operate even within one state.
  
• Being automatically included in the permit may also change. Any interested party can ask EPA to require individual permits instead.
  
• BoatUS has significant concerns about what will be required, in terms of paperwork, fees, and measures to comply with the yet undefined future permits.

Basically, what are the current permit requirements?

1. You must obey existing federal laws restricting overboard discharge of untreated sewage, no discharge of fuel or oil that creates a sheen, no discharge of plastics anywhere and no discharge of all garbage within 3 miles offshore.

2. Your discharges can’t have any visual indicator of pollutants, such as foam, or contain material from accidental spills, or contain any visible living organisms.

3. Do not top off your fuel tanks, use an oil absorbent product while fueling and under your engine to catch drips.

4. You must have something to put trash in, store any used antifreeze, paint, toxics, and out-of-date flares in secure containers, secure all loose items on deck, and can't dispose of fishing waste overboard while in a harbor or marina.

5. Any soap or other cleaner you use must be non-toxic and phosphate free.

6. Don't clean anti-foulant paint which releases biocides in the first 90 days after application.” Cleaning must not cause a plume of paint.

7. EPA is also encouraging boaters to use onshore head facilities, use biodegradable soaps, pack food in reusable containers, and conduct large hull cleaning jobs out of the water.

What can I do about this impending permit?

This permit will come into effect on 9/30/08 unless legislation is passed by Congress that will restore the 35 year old permit exemption that EPA created in 1973. “The Clean Boating Act of 2008” (Senate Bill 2766/House Bill 5949) provides a permanent permit exemption for recreational boats. This legislation is supported by BoatUS, National Marine Manufacturers Association, and many other boating and fishing groups. You can help by contacting your Members of Congress and urging them to push the bill to a floor vote now and to vote YES to give boats permit exemptions.

Meanwhile the clock is ticking for EPA. Boaters can pose specific questions about the permit at the EPA public meetings in Portland, Oregon (June 24), Chicago (June 26), or Washington DC (July 21), or their national webcast (July 2). You can submit written comments to EPA before 8/1/08. You may wish to consider the questions EPA has posed:

Should encouraged behaviors be mandated (i.e. store graywater for disposal onshore)? Should EPA establish numeric discharge limits (i.e. telling you how much soap and water you can use while boat washing)? Should the permit be designed so boaters will individually apply for the permit?

For more information:

Draft permits and EPA’s fact sheets:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=350

EPA summary and details on the public comment process:
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/regulations/vessel_frnotice.pdf

For the latest information and to support The Clean Boating Act:
www.boatus.com/gov or www.boatblue.org

BoatUS Contact Information:
E-mail: GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com
Phone: (703) 461-2878 x8363

June 20, 2008

To read the draft Recreational General Permit and EPA's fact sheet Click Here.

BoatUS staff attended the first public meeting yesterday in Washington D.C.  Our summary of the permit and what we learned will be posted on Monday, June 23 on this site. Please check back on Monday for more information.

####

May 23, 2008

Dear Boating Colleagues,

A lot of good things have happened in the last 2 weeks.

• First, on May 15, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved H.R. 5949 "The Clean Boating Act of 2008."  This bill, introduced by Rep. LaTourette (R-OH) only fifteen days prior, has the same language as S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008," introduced in March by Senators Boxer (D-CA) and Nelson (D-FL).  The House bill was voted out of the Committee without amendment and is headed to a full House Vote.
  
• Second, on May 21, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted on S. 2766 "The Clean Boating Act of 2008," and passed it out of Committee without amendment.  This bill is now headed to a full Senate vote.
  
• These are both FANTASTIC developments, and it means we've jumped two big hurdles in the last two weeks- hurdles we could not have jumped without your loud grassroots voices!

Where does that leave us?

      We still have a long way to go, and we still need your help- all we can muster- to pass this legislation for recreational boating.

• Time is running out- the permit deadline is in about four months. Congress has a week recess for Memorial Day and July 4, and four weeks in August.
  
• We need to get S. 2766/H.R. 5949 to a full Senate and full House vote during June or July.
  
• We need more cosponsors on the bills, and we need to secure more YES votes on behalf of recreational boating from both Senators and Representatives.

So what can you do?

• Even if you have already contacted your Senators and Representatives on this topic in the last year, you need to do it again!
  
• Do you know your Members of Congress personally? If so, you have a prime opportunity near Memorial Day to talk with them.  Congress is head home May 23-June 3.  If you see them, ask them to co-sponsor and vote YES for the Clean Boating Act of 2008 (S. 2766/H.R. 5949).
  
• Remember H.R. 2550 "The Recreational Boating Act of 2007" introduced last year by Reps. Taylor (D-MS) and Miller (R-MI)?  That bill currently has 93 cosponsors, but the bill is now dormant since it's been overtaken by H.R. 5949 (with 7 sponsors).  We need help converting the cosponsors of H.R. 2550 over to be cosponsors on H.R. 5949. Want to see the list of 93 cosponsors of last year's bill? Click Here
  
• Please email or call your 3 members of Congress in the next few weeks.  To quickly do this Click Here.
  
• Here's your simplified message: I'd like to ask Senator or Representative X to help recreational boating in our state and all over the country, by voting YES, and cosponsoring S. 2766/H.R. 5949 "The Clean Boating Act of 2008."
  
• If you get feedback from Members of Congress please share it with us at GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com so we know the latest.
  
• Share this information with your boating club, fishing group, marina, and anyone you know who uses a boat.  We need a huge volume of support to move Congress quickly in the right direction.

Thank you so much for your continued help!

May 19, 2008

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has scheduled a hearing for S. 2766 "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" on May 21, 2008 at 10 a.m. If your Senator is on this committee it is important that they hear from you this week.  Click here to view members of the Environment and Public Works Committee

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.

Click here to send an email

Click here for phone numbers

Click here for bill language

Click here to view members of the Envirornment and Public Works Committee

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

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

#######

August 4, 2007

TSA Lets Inflatable Life Jackets Fly

August 4, 2007 - After months of revising regulations for security and carry-on items for commercial airlines, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has decided to allow passengers to board planes with personal inflatable life jackets, plus two spare CO2 cylinders. The change took place August 4, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Inflatables and cartridges were allowed by TSA, but then banned in August 2006 after the plot was uncovered in London to use liquids as explosives.

Groups from the Coast Guard to BoatU.S. and US SAILING have been after TSA to clarify a confusing set of rules. One caveat for boaters: even though TSA regs allow inflatables with cartridges on board planes, individual airlines may still prohibit them. Check with your carrier to see what their policy is.

Boating safety advocates have been promoting the wider use of light, comfortable inflatable devices for years. Many boat racers and anglers travel the country, and the world, to compete in regattas and tournaments and want to bring their own life jackets when they fly. To ship devices ahead of time or buy them at a destination can be expensive or inconvenient. Ironically, boaters’ inflatable life jackets are generally the same as the flotation devices the airlines stow under the seats for emergency use.

The new policy is listed at the TSA Web site:
www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm; look under Disabling Chemicals & Other Dangerous Items for small compressed gas cylinders.