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:
#######
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. |
