NEWS
From BoatU.S.
Boat Owners
Association of The United States
880
S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatU.S. News Room at
http://www.BoatUS.com/news/releases.asp
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Margaret
Podlich, 703-461-2878
x8355, MPodlich@BoatUS.com
CONGRESS RESTORES 35-YEAR EXEMPTION FOR RECREATIONAL
BOATS
FROM PROPOSED EPA PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS
NO NEW PERMIT
FOR BOATS REQUIRED
ALEXANDRIA,
VA, July 22, 2008 - In a remarkable display of bipartisan support for
recreational boating, both the House and Senate today passed S. 2766, "The
Clean Boating Act of 2008" which will permanently restore a long-standing
exemption for recreational boats from permitting requirements under the
Clean Water Act. The legislation now goes to the White House for the
President's signature.
Congressional action was spawned by a U.S.
District Court decision in September 2006 under which an estimated 17
million recreational boats would have fallen under Clean Water Act permit
requirements effective September 30,
2008. The permit would have dictated maintenance and operation
procedures and potentially subjected boaters to citizen lawsuits as well
as a penalty system designed for industrial polluters.
"This is a
fabulous victory for common sense and it just goes to show what can be
done when the boating public, the marine industry and its representatives
in Congress row together in a bipartisan way," said BoatU.S. President
Nancy Michelman.
BoatU.S. Government Affairs Director Margaret
Podlich was quick to shower praise on a boatload of legislators who did
much of the heavy lifting including Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Barbara
Boxer (D-CA) and Representatives Jim Oberstar (D-MN), Steve
LaTourette (R-OH), Candice
Miller (R-MI) and Gene Taylor
(D-MS). A complete listing of all legislators involved will be available
at http://www.BoatUS.com/gov
soon.
BoatU.S. has worked for more than a year with the National
Marine Manufacturers Association and a broad coalition of stakeholders to
resolve the problem before the permitting deadline.
"One of the
real keys to success here was our collective ability to activate the
grassroots," said Podlich, noting that tens of thousands of letters and
e-mails were generated by boaters and anglers over the course of the past
12 months.
BoatU.S. is the nation's leading advocate for
recreational boat owners with over 650,000 members.
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