Scaaty
Vice Admiral
- Joined
- May 31, 2004
- Messages
- 5,180
Seems we need a new Video out to replace "Girls gone wild" to "Judges gone wild"..
Recreational Boating Act 2007
In September, 2006, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a 34-year-old exemption for recreational boats from an EPA regulation intended to stop ballast water discharge from ocean-going freighters and tankers in U.S. waters.
If a higher court or the U.S. Congress does not act, 18 million boats will be required to have special EPA permits that couls cost $800 or more.
A reply I pulled off another forum..
Thank you for contacting me regarding recreational boating. I appreciate your comments and having the benefit of your views.
As you may know, the Clean Water Act (P.L. 80-845) helps improve the quality of the water in our lakes, rivers and other bodies of water by restricting pollution caused by industries and water-going vessels. Part of the Act requires permits for ships known for heavy polluting, such as cruise ships, container ships, and supertankers. While the legislation affected all vessels, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has long provided an exemption to certain water-quality standards for small recreational boats due to their limited impact on the environment and the burden that recreational boaters would bear in meeting stringent environmental standards meant for larger vessels.
However, in a case related to the regulation of ballast water from cargo vessels, the U.S. Court of Appeals recently determined that the EPA was acting beyond its scope with exemptions to the Clean Water Act, such as the one provided for small recreational boats, and required the creation of a new permit system by September 2008. The EPA is currently appealing this ruling.
Many recreational boaters like you are concerned that if the EPA loses their appeal they will be forced to obtain expensive and burdensome permits that will greatly impact their ability to own and use personal recreational watercraft. To this end, Representative Gene Taylor (D-MS) has introduced the Recreational Boating Act of 2007 (H.R. 2550) to reverse the U.S. Court of Appeals decision and codify the exemptions for small recreational watercraft into federal law. H.R. 2550 has been referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where it awaits consideration.
As the representative for eastern Connecticut, I know how important recreational boating is to the communities along Long Island Sound and the many bodies of water across the second Congressional District. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor this issue closely and will keep your views in mind should it come before me for a vote.
Should you have any additional comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me in the future. For more information on my views on other issues or to see what I have been working on in Congress, please feel free to visit my official website at www.house.gov/courtney and sign up for my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
JOSEPH COURTNEY
Member of Congress
www.rallycongress.com/boattestcom/
Recreational Boating Act 2007
In September, 2006, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a 34-year-old exemption for recreational boats from an EPA regulation intended to stop ballast water discharge from ocean-going freighters and tankers in U.S. waters.
If a higher court or the U.S. Congress does not act, 18 million boats will be required to have special EPA permits that couls cost $800 or more.
A reply I pulled off another forum..
Thank you for contacting me regarding recreational boating. I appreciate your comments and having the benefit of your views.
As you may know, the Clean Water Act (P.L. 80-845) helps improve the quality of the water in our lakes, rivers and other bodies of water by restricting pollution caused by industries and water-going vessels. Part of the Act requires permits for ships known for heavy polluting, such as cruise ships, container ships, and supertankers. While the legislation affected all vessels, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has long provided an exemption to certain water-quality standards for small recreational boats due to their limited impact on the environment and the burden that recreational boaters would bear in meeting stringent environmental standards meant for larger vessels.
However, in a case related to the regulation of ballast water from cargo vessels, the U.S. Court of Appeals recently determined that the EPA was acting beyond its scope with exemptions to the Clean Water Act, such as the one provided for small recreational boats, and required the creation of a new permit system by September 2008. The EPA is currently appealing this ruling.
Many recreational boaters like you are concerned that if the EPA loses their appeal they will be forced to obtain expensive and burdensome permits that will greatly impact their ability to own and use personal recreational watercraft. To this end, Representative Gene Taylor (D-MS) has introduced the Recreational Boating Act of 2007 (H.R. 2550) to reverse the U.S. Court of Appeals decision and codify the exemptions for small recreational watercraft into federal law. H.R. 2550 has been referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where it awaits consideration.
As the representative for eastern Connecticut, I know how important recreational boating is to the communities along Long Island Sound and the many bodies of water across the second Congressional District. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor this issue closely and will keep your views in mind should it come before me for a vote.
Should you have any additional comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me in the future. For more information on my views on other issues or to see what I have been working on in Congress, please feel free to visit my official website at www.house.gov/courtney and sign up for my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
JOSEPH COURTNEY
Member of Congress
www.rallycongress.com/boattestcom/
