Action Alert: 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.
November 28, 2007:
Action Needed:
We need your help to push Congress to pass legislation "The Recreational Boating Act of 2007" (H.R. 2550/S. 2067) that will reinstate the permit exemption for recreational boats.
Please contact your Congressman and Senators TODAY and ask that they co-sponsor or support H.R. 2550 and S. 2067.
Click here to see today's Action Alert and send an email to your Members of Congress.
Click here for a sample email letter. (Word Document)
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions
Click Federal Alert Page for more information.
News: Collier County, FL Anchoring Court Decision
November 1 - A recent Collier County, FL, court decision that found a restrictive Marco Island recreational boat anchoring ordinance in violation of state law could help lead to a statewide solution to Florida’s patchwork of local anchoring laws.
The Marco Island ordinance restricted recreational boaters to a maximum 12-hour anchoring period when located within 300 feet of a seawall, and maximum six-day anchoring period anywhere beyond that distance. Collier County Judge Rob Crown’s October 26 th decision said that the Marco Island ordinance was “an unlawful regulation of publicly owned sovereign waterways in violation of Florida law.” Click here to read BoatU.S. Press Release.
Docking Tip
A friend of mine keeps his single-screw trawler in a narrow L-shaped canal. To reach his slip, he has to get past a yacht in the corner of the canal. He relies on a bowthruster to get the boat into its slip.
1. He backs down the fairway, rudder centered while deploying the thrusters in short bursts.
2. He then twists to port at the turn, which is good because his right-turning prop kicks to port when astern. He gives the thruster a touch of bow-right to sharpen the turn.
3. If the wind is very brisk, he'll use the thruster to tap the bow to windward. Then, by canting his rudder farther to port and applying a bit more power, speed astern is increased. The stern swings over more quickly while the bow swing is less accentuated.
By Capt. Stuart Reininger
Great resource for boating information is
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