Clean Boating Act Now Official

You're looking at President George W. Bush signing the Clean Boating Act of 2008 yesterday. Joining him aboard Air Force One was Rep. Steven LaTourette (left) and Rep. Patrick Tiberi, both from Ohio. The bill, which was approved by Congress last week, protects more than 17 million American recreational boaters from confusing and in some cases unnecessary regulations that are more applicable to commercial vessels. (Visit BoatBlue as well as this post to get the full background details.)

White House photo: Chris Greenberg

Clean Boating Act Approved

Good news: Earlier this week both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the Clean Boating Act, to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from instituting regulations that would result in hefty fines for recreational boaters of all kinds, even kayakers.

For 35 years recreational and commercial boats alike have been exempt from permits covering normal overboard water discharge—things like washdown and runoff water. But a few years ago, a few states sued to overturn the exemption because of ballast-water discharges releasing harmful species into local waters. They won in federal court, and as a result the EPA will be required to start enforcing permit regulations come September 30. (If you're interested in reading the permit proposals, click here.) Vessels less than 79 feet will be required to have one type of permit, while vessels 80 feet and larger will need a different permit. Unfortunately, those regulations don't distinguish recreational boats from commercial ones, even though ballast-tank-equipped vessels aren't the same as runabouts, sportfishermen, and yachts. (And yes, kayaks were included in the regulations—canoes and PWCs as well.)

Thankfully, several Congressmen and Congresswomen recognized this just didn't make sense and sponsored the Clean Boating Act bill. As Chuck Schumer, the senator from New York who cosponsored the bill, said to a group of boaters in the Finger Lakes, "It's time to toss this ill-advised regulation overboard."

Next step: getting President George Bush's signature. Considering he's an active boater, as is his father, here's hoping he picks up his pen soon.

To follow further developments and read more about how the bill and regulations came about, visit BoatBlue.

New Fees on the Horizon

If you don't think recreational boaters should be required to buy a pricey water-discharge permit from the federal government, now is a good time to let Washington know.

The Clean Water Act of 2008—a bill aimed to reverse a recent ruling that would force pleasure boaters to buy the same costly permits required of commercial freighters and tankers—is now stalled in Congress by one vote. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) refused to pass the bill before the holiday weekend unless commerical fishing boats were also exempt.

If legislators fail to enact the measure before the summer recess in a few weeks, then starting on Oct. 1, you will have to buy a permit to discharge any kind of water—engine cooling water, even deck run-off—from your boat.

To let your voice be heard, send a message to Congress.

Ballast Water Battle

On Thursday, Senators Barbara Boxer (D-California) and Bill Nelson (D-Florida) pledged to fight a ballast water permitting scheme that has been much maligned by many in the boating community. In a U.S. District Court case last fall, several environmental groups successfully argued in that ballast water should be government regulated, due to the fact that it introduces non-native species into the water. The ruling was intended to target big, commercial vessels that use and expel large amounts of ballast water. However, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, "The court's ruling also includes boat engine cooling water, bilge water, gray water and common deck runoff—none of which was considered by the court, as the case focused solely on commercial ship ballast water." They add, "The court has directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a new, complex and costly permitting scheme for the nation's estimated 18 million boats by September 2008."

Boxer and Nelson share a strong belief that recreational boaters should be exempt from such permitting, and are dedicated to resolving the issue before the 2008 deadline. The senators’ commitment has met with great support from many boating groups, and the NMMA has thrown its hat into the ring. "NMMA, leading a collation of boating and outdoor recreation partners, has created a grassroots website to mobilize the boating community on the ballast water permitting issue," the association said in a recent press release, "It's estimated spending by recreational boaters is responsible for some 855,000 U.S. jobs." For further information from the NMMA and BoatUS, check out BoatBlue.