T&T: BoatUS Alert: Contact Your Members of Congress!

[Richard P Blake]

Fellow Boaters,
I have sent this letter from Boat US just in case you may not have seen
it. It contains 
several links which make it easy to contact your representatives and a
form letter
asking for their support.  I seldom send letters to people in Washington
who represent us.
But this one really bothers me.  It scares the S!?T out of me when I hear
" HI WERE FROM
THE GOVERNMENT AND WHERE HERE TO HELP YOU".  Please take the time to read
the Q&A.  I learned things LIKE: one permit per boat per state you boat
in (ie Dink to100 footers), 5 boats 
in three states = 15 permits , cost of each permit could be several
hundred $ per permit for a 1-5 years 
permit.  It also gives the EPA control over the content of bottom paint
if this BILL 
doesn't pass.  Please write you representatives and request their
support.  I did.  I want clean 
water but I also want to protect my Boating way of life.

Regards,  Rick Blake
"Private Reserve" Port Charlotte, Fl.
36' Nantucket Sedan Powered by Yanmar
"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved
body, 
But rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting...'Holy
S**t...What a Ride!"


July 23, 2007

Dear BoatUS Member, 
For 34 years the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
exempted discharges from recreational boats from the Clean Water Act
permit system. Regretfully, a recent court ruling cancelled this permit
exemption. EPA is required by the court decision to develop and implement
by September 30, 2008 a national permit system for ALL vessels in the
United States for a variety of normal operational discharges.

We have been working behind the scenes with other boating organizations
to get the exemption reinstated for recreational boats. Fortunately, the
Recreational Boating Act of 2007 (H.R. 2550) has been introduced by
Representatives Gene Taylor (D-Miss) and Candice Miller (R-Mich) which
would protect recreational boats from being swept into this unnecessary
and expensive permitting system. 

It is critically important that H.R. 2550 be passed and your support is
essential. Please contact your Congressman and Senators TODAY and ask
that they co-sponsor or support H.R. 2550. 

If the permit system becomes a reality, you will be required to pay for a
state permit for each of your boats. EPA will be monitoring your deck
runoff, grey water, bilge water, engine cooling water, and the use of
copper bottom paints. 

The original lawsuit that led to this court decision sought to address
ballast water discharges from large ocean-going ships, which can
introduce damaging aquatic invasive species into U.S. waters. Keeping our
waterways clean and preventing the spread of invasive species is of
utmost importance to the future of boating. But taking a complex
permitting system designed for industrial dischargers and applying it to
recreational boats will not yield significant environmental benefits and
it will come at a very high cost. Requiring recreational boaters to
purchase a permit would not prevent the spread of invasive species. 

BoatUS has been a leader in educating boaters about Clean Boating
practices for more than a decade. Our nonprofit Foundation has funded
local education projects on invasive species prevention, helped develop
voluntary Clean Marina programs, and authored much of the country's Clean
Boating outreach. These positive education efforts are making a
difference. 

Please ask your elected federal representatives to support H.R. 2550. It
is common-sense legislation. As you send your emails to your Members of
Congress, please copy BoatUS at GovtAffairs at BoatUS.com . Wed also like
to ask you to send a copy of your correspondence to the EPA, so they can
see how this will affect citizens. However, please know that if you
choose to send it to EPA, it will become a part of the public record.
EPAs email is ow-docket at epa.gov , and your email needs to have a subject
line with Docket ID No. OW-2007-0483. 

For More Information: 

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions 
http://www.boatus.com/gov/HR2550FAQ.pdf


Click here for a sample email letter 
http://www.boatus.com/gov/epa_letter.asp

Click here to easily send an email to your Members of Congress.
 http://www.boatus.com/gov/contact.asp



Forward this Action Alert to your friends, your fishing and boat club,
your marina neighbors, and your local press! 

Thank you for your help. 

Sincerely,

Margaret Podlich

BoatUS Government Affairs 
GovtAffairs at BoatUS.com 
703-461-2864 or 703-461-2878 x8363