NO NEW PERMIT FOR BOATS REQUIRED
July 22, 2008 - In 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.
While exempting recreational craft from the permit system, the legislation, cosponsored by Sens. Bill Nelson (R-Fla.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) along with 37 other Democratic and Republican senatorial supporters, also requires recreational boaters to manage incidental discharges within standards to be designed by EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard to "mitigate adverse impacts on the waters on the United States." Boaters would continue to be barred from dumping garbage, raw sewage, plastics, oil, and fuel.
CONGRESS RESTORES 35-YEAR EXEMPTION FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS
Moderator: Jim Walsh
-
Carl Thunberg
- Posts: 1288
- Joined: Nov 21st, '05, 08:20
- Location: CD28 Cruiser "Loon" Poorhouse Cove, ME
Perfectly Reasonable
It's good to know that level heads prevailed. Anyone who objects to this restriction has no business being on the water. Not having read the actual legislation, I'm assuming the 3-mile offshore limit for overboard head discharge remains unchanged.
Boaters would continue to be barred from dumping garbage, raw sewage, plastics, oil, and fuel.
CDSOA Commodore - Member No. 725
"The more I expand the island of my knowledge, the more I expand the shoreline of my wonder"
Sir Isaac Newton
"The more I expand the island of my knowledge, the more I expand the shoreline of my wonder"
Sir Isaac Newton
Summary
This is from GovTrack.us and provides a summary of the legislation.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xp ... =s110-2766
3/13/2008--Introduced.
Clean Boating Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to provide that no permit shall be required by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the national pollutant discharge elimination system for the discharge from a recreational vessel of graywater, bilge water, cooling water, weather deck runoff, oil water separator effluent, or effluent from properly functioning marine engines or for any other discharge that is incidental to the normal operation of such vessel.
Defines a "recreational vessel" as any vessel that is leased, rented, or chartered to a person for that person's pleasure or that is manufactured or used primarily for pleasure, excluding vessels that are subject to Coast Guard inspection and that are engaged in commercial use or that carry paying passengers.
Requires the Administrator to: (1) develop management practices for recreational vessels to mitigate the adverse impacts on U.S. waters of discharges incidental to normal vessel operation (excluding sewage) in any case in which the Administrator determines that the use of those practices is reasonable and practicable; and (2) promulgate federal standards of performance (which may distinguish among vessel types) for each discharge for which such a management practice is developed.
Requires the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to promulgate regulations governing the design, construction, installation, and use of management practices for recreational vessels as necessary to meet such standards. Prohibits the owner or operator of a recreational vessel from operating in U.S. waters if such owner or operator is not using applicable management practices in compliance with such regulations.
And list of Congressional actions from OpenCongress
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s2766/show
Passed by voice vote in the House on Jul 22, 2008. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
Jul 22, 2008: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2766.
Jul 22, 2008: Considered under suspension of the rules.
Jul 22, 2008: Mr. Oberstar moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Jul 22, 2008: Held at the desk.
Jul 22, 2008: Received in the House.
Jul 22, 2008: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate on Jul 22, 2008. Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Added to calendar on Jun 23, 2008: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 832..
Jun 23, 2008: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 110-398. Additional views filed.
May 21, 2008: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Mar 13, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Introduced on Mar 13, 2008.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xp ... =s110-2766
3/13/2008--Introduced.
Clean Boating Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to provide that no permit shall be required by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the national pollutant discharge elimination system for the discharge from a recreational vessel of graywater, bilge water, cooling water, weather deck runoff, oil water separator effluent, or effluent from properly functioning marine engines or for any other discharge that is incidental to the normal operation of such vessel.
Defines a "recreational vessel" as any vessel that is leased, rented, or chartered to a person for that person's pleasure or that is manufactured or used primarily for pleasure, excluding vessels that are subject to Coast Guard inspection and that are engaged in commercial use or that carry paying passengers.
Requires the Administrator to: (1) develop management practices for recreational vessels to mitigate the adverse impacts on U.S. waters of discharges incidental to normal vessel operation (excluding sewage) in any case in which the Administrator determines that the use of those practices is reasonable and practicable; and (2) promulgate federal standards of performance (which may distinguish among vessel types) for each discharge for which such a management practice is developed.
Requires the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to promulgate regulations governing the design, construction, installation, and use of management practices for recreational vessels as necessary to meet such standards. Prohibits the owner or operator of a recreational vessel from operating in U.S. waters if such owner or operator is not using applicable management practices in compliance with such regulations.
And list of Congressional actions from OpenCongress
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s2766/show
Passed by voice vote in the House on Jul 22, 2008. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
Jul 22, 2008: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2766.
Jul 22, 2008: Considered under suspension of the rules.
Jul 22, 2008: Mr. Oberstar moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Jul 22, 2008: Held at the desk.
Jul 22, 2008: Received in the House.
Jul 22, 2008: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate on Jul 22, 2008. Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Added to calendar on Jun 23, 2008: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 832..
Jun 23, 2008: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 110-398. Additional views filed.
May 21, 2008: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Mar 13, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Introduced on Mar 13, 2008.
Jim Davis
S/V Isa Lei
S/V Isa Lei
-
Wayne Grenier
- Posts: 142
- Joined: Mar 7th, '06, 18:30
- Location: 1974 CD 28 Meantime
The vast majority
of sailors who drown have their flies open.
Sail on,
Jack
CD28 Sea Belle
Hailport - Rockland, ME
There are old sailors and bold sailors, but there are no old, bold sailors.
Reef early and often. It's easier to shake out a reef when one is bored than it is to tuck one in when one is scared.
When your only tool is a hammer, all your problems look like nails.
Jack
CD28 Sea Belle
Hailport - Rockland, ME
There are old sailors and bold sailors, but there are no old, bold sailors.
Reef early and often. It's easier to shake out a reef when one is bored than it is to tuck one in when one is scared.
When your only tool is a hammer, all your problems look like nails.