Legislation Reverses Overbroad Federal Court Order & Prevents Unnecessary New Environmental Protection Agency Regulations on Individual Boaters
Courtesy: NMMA
In a terrific victory for the marine industry and recreational boaters nationwide, both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives on July 22, 2008 passed S. 2766/H.R. 5949, the Clean Boating Act of 2008, relieving boaters of the need to apply for an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Act permit for their overboard incidental discharges. President Bush quickly moved into action, signing the bill into law on July 29, 2008 onboard Air Force One. Introduced by Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Representatives Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio) and Candice Miller (R-Mich.), the Clean Boating Act gained enormous bipartisan support in Congress. Need for the Clean Boating Act In 2006, a federal district court ruling about pollution being dumped from commercial ship ballast water inadvertently swept up recreational boats into an unprecendented and onerous new permitting regime designed for land-based industrial facilities like sewage treatment plants. Fortunately, recognizing this absurdity, Congress intervened and recently passed S. 2766/H.R. 5949, the Clean Boating Act of 2008, which reinstates a 35-year old regulation preventing this costly, confusing and unnecessary permitting of water-based incidental discharges from recreational boats. About The Clean Boating Act of 2008 Fortunately, Senators Bill Nelson and Barbara Boxer and Representatives Steve LaTourette and Candice Miller introduced the “Clean Boating Act of 2008.” The Clean Boating Act permanently and fully restores the regulation that has existed for 35 years distinguishing between recreational boats and land-based industrial facilities and ocean-going commercial ships, cruise ships and supertankers, preventing EPA's new regulation on boaters while also protecting the environment. On May 15, 2008, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, charied by Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minnesota), voted unanimously to approve H.R. 5949, the House version of the Clean Boating Act. On May 21, the Senate Environment and Public Works, chaired by Sen. Boxer, also voted unanimously to approve the bill in committee. On July 22, 2008, the bill was passed by both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, clearing the measure for the President's signature into law. The President signed the bill on July 29, 2008, making it the law of the land and preventing onerous new EPA regulations. The National Marine Manufactures Association (NMMA) is the United States' largest recreational marine industry trade association, representing over 1,600 boat builders, engine manufacturers, and marine accessory manufacturers. To learn more, visit BoatBlue, http://www.boatblue.org/
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