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Boat US letter - Anyone else get it

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/23/2007 : 21:39:17

July 23, 2007

Dear BoatUS Member,
For 34 years the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exempted discharges from recreational boats from the Clean Water Act permit system. Regretfully, a recent court ruling cancelled this permit exemption. EPA is 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.

We have been working behind the scenes with other boating organizations to get the exemption reinstated for recreational boats. Fortunately, the Recreational Boating Act of 2007 (H.R. 2550) has been introduced by Representatives Gene Taylor (D-Miss) and Candice Miller (R-Mich) which would protect recreational boats from being swept into this unnecessary and expensive permitting system.

It is critically important that H.R. 2550 be passed and your support is essential. Please contact your Congressman and Senators TODAY and ask that they co-sponsor or support H.R. 2550.

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 monitoring your deck runoff, grey water, bilge water, engine cooling water, and the use of copper bottom paints.

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.

BoatUS has been a leader in educating boaters about Clean Boating practices for more than a decade. Our nonprofit Foundation has funded local education projects on invasive species prevention, helped develop voluntary Clean Marina programs, and authored much of the country's Clean Boating outreach. These positive education efforts are making a difference.

Please ask your elected federal representatives to support H.R. 2550. It is common-sense legislation. As you send your emails to your Members of Congress, please copy BoatUS at GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com . We’d also like to ask you to send a copy of your correspondence to the EPA, so they can see how this will affect citizens. However, please know that if you choose to send it to EPA, it will become a part of the public record. EPA’s email is ow-docket@epa.gov , and your email needs to have a subject line with Docket ID No. OW-2007-0483.

For More Information:

Click [url="http://smtpbulk.boatus.net/t?r=3&c=1622&l=198&ctl=BC5C:26FAC20BCE7C2D9DAA3C0EE4E20A8734"]here[/url] for Frequently Asked Questions

Click [url="http://smtpbulk.boatus.net/t?r=3&c=1622&l=198&ctl=BC5B:26FAC20BCE7C2D9DAA3C0EE4E20A8734"]here[/url] for a sample email letter

Click [url="http://smtpbulk.boatus.net/t?r=3&c=1622&l=198&ctl=BC5D:26FAC20BCE7C2D9DAA3C0EE4E20A8734"]here[/url] to easily send an email to your Members of Congress.

Forward this Action Alert to your friends, your fishing and boat club, your marina neighbors, and your local press!

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Margaret Podlich

BoatUS Government Affairs
GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com
703-461-2864 or 703-461-2878 x8363

*****

D. Wolff
DPO C25 Hull 401
Currently Sailing "Champagne and Ripple" 1982 O'day 30

Chief Measurer 2002-2006
Vice-commodore 2007

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2007 : 21:46:01

Yup--got it... The bill will pass--I can't think of a constituency or special interest against it, and even the congressmen have boats, including the ones that were given to them.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2007 : 21:52:45

Except for that guy with the bad hair from Ohio (the one that isn't in prison) who will undoubtedly be out campaigning for his 1/2 percent of the presidential vote instead of representing his constituency.

Edited by - on

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2007 : 07:40:32

Actually, it would be better if there were a Federal regulation that was recognized by all the states. One of the things I did on Swimmer was to eliminate the thru hulls for discharge because many areas in Maine are going to no discharge zones. If one permit would cover me everywhere I want to go, I'd rather have that than a myriad of permit requirements, separate fees and inspections.
We are participating in a raft up this week end at Block Island and yes, all boats involved must have their own permits issued for their heads by NY.
They do not recognize any other state permits. It's inevitable.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2007 : 09:34:07

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by existentialsailor
 We are participating in a raft up this week end at Block Island and yes, all boats involved must have their own permits issued for their heads by NY. They do not recognize any other state permits.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Where did you get that? First, B.I. is in Rhode Island...

Great Salt Pond is a no-discharge zone--nobody I know has been asked for any kind of permit.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 07/24/2007 10:01:06

dave holtgrave
Captain

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USA
427 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2007 : 10:50:31

permits, penalties, fines, taxes,
the great ordinary man's way of living in a country that it's governing body is smothering us.
while the accused are free to live in the ft lauderdale area with their millions they stole from ordinary man's pension funds or after market trading.

it's all about freedom i thought!!!!!

dave holtgrave
5722 sk/tr
sailing my soap box in carlyle lake in southern illinois.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2007 : 11:01:45

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dave holtgrave
 permits, penalties, fines, taxes,
the great ordinary man's way of living in a country that it's governing body is smothering us...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
...except when it's bogus information. I truly don't know what Rick's talking about--neither do my cruising friends.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2007 : 15:25:46

Don't most states allow reciprocity for 30 or 60 days

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2007 : 20:27:27

For what?? We don't have "permits" to take a cr@p around here... You just need to keep it aboard. Block Island has a pumpout boat prowling constantly. They don't have any cr@pper police that I ever heard of.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2007 : 22:02:10

Generally and in this case hypotheticall speaking - I take my boat to Kansas and they allow me to sail for 2 months before I have to re-register it there. Rick mentioned that other states permits don't count I was trying to draw a parrallel saying there was precendent. Either way, it sounds like this is going to be the federal gig. I'm a little concerned about the reference to deck run off, exhaust water and any grey water.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2007 : 07:10:27

and what about 'Water Ballast'?
This weekend, a SoFla Wildlife deputy queried us about draining out WB in the parking lot (the same parking lot we launched and filled the WB from). We had blown most of it out before retrieving.

At some point, someone will realize that kritters might stick to the hull and hitch a ride. Before you know it there will be hull scrubbing stations between waypoints (or will they become 'weighpoints')

Paul

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