For Immediate Release
Friday, September 21, 2007Recreational Boating Act Introduced in Senate
Bill Would Save Boaters from New Regulations and Unnecessary Permits Stemming From Ballast Water Court Case
Washington, DC
As the nation’s 73 million recreational boaters celebrate the traditional end of the summer season following Labor Day, legislation now before the full Congress will give lawmakers a chance to save those same boaters from costly and unneeded new commercial ballast water permitting regulations. Senator Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) this week introduced companion legislation to H.R. 2550, the Recreational Boating Act of 2007, in the Senate. Martinez’s bill, S. 2067, like its companion bill in the House, would exempt recreational boat owners from having to secure multiple permits for the normal operation of their boats.
“Requiring family boaters to secure a Clean Water Act permit so they can wash their boat, fish, or go waterskiing is ridiculous,” Senator Martinez said. “This permit requirement is unnecessary and onerous.”
The permitting issue stems from a September 2006 U.S. District Court ruling intended to hold the EPA responsible for regulating ballast water discharges from ocean-going vessels who were also excluded under the exemption struck down by the court. Large ocean-going ships use ballast water for stability, taking on water to weigh the vessel down. It is not uncommon for one of these ships to take on water from the Caspian Sea, cross the Atlantic Ocean, and discharge the ballast water when entering the Great Lakes. It’s estimated that some 10,000 invasive species travel the oceans this way, and it has been identified as the prime source for harmful aquatic invasive species like the zebra mussel to be introduced into U.S. waters.
“Without congressional approval of the Recreational Boating Act, the court’s existing decision means that everyday boaters will have to apply for the same expensive permits as ocean-going commercial vessels” said Thom Dammrich, President of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the nation’s largest trade association representing the $39.5 billion U.S. recreational boating industry.
“The ballast water issue facing us is a serious threat to the boating community and the future of the boating industry,” Dammrich said.
NMMA is strongly backing passage of the Recreational Boating Act of 2007 and is encouraging the public to take action before the ruling goes into effect next year. A court mandated deadline is set for September 2008 which would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to have the permitting requirements in place.
Shortly before the Memorial Day holiday, Representatives Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) and Candice Miller (R-Mich.) introduced the original legislation, H.R. 2550, to protect the 34-year old EPA exemption for non-pollutant engine cooling water, bilge water, gray water, and common deck runoff that occurs in the normal operation of a boat. Unlike commercial ship ballast water taken onboard from foreign ports and oceans, these water-based functions do not introduce harmful aquatic invasive species into U.S. waterways.
The legislation introduced by Senator Martinez will act as a companion bill to the Taylor-Miller bill, setting the stage for the issue to be fully debated in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The boating community hopes this move will push the issue through Congress expeditiously before the permitting deadline next fall.
“It’s gratifying for all of us in the boating community to see Congress take notice of this important issue and start to act on it given the short time remaining until recreational boats are lumped into regulations that are really about commercial vessels ,” Dammrich said. “But that doesn’t mean the fight is over – we now have the enormous task ahead of passing a legislative fix before time runs out. I would urge everyone to do their part and let their voice be heard on this issue by taking a few moments to visit www.BoatBlue.org to learn more about the ballast water issue and tell their Senators and Representatives in Congress to co-sponsor and pass these bills.”
NMMA, in partnership with the Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatUS) and other outdoor recreation partners, has created a grassroots website to mobilize the boating community on the ballast water permitting issue. Learn more at www.BoatBlue.org.
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