T&T: Bill introduced re FWPCA and recreational vessels

[Jim Ague]

> SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
>
>  (a) Pollutant- Section 502(6) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
> (33 U.S.C. 1362(6)) is amended--
>
>    (1) by striking `or (B)' and inserting `(B)'; and
>
>    (2) by inserting before the period at the end the following: `; or (C)
> any deck runoff from a recreational vessel, any engine cooling water, gray
> water, bilge water effluent from properly functioning recreational marine
> engines, laundry, shower, and galley sink wastes from a recreational 
> vessel,
> or any other discharge incidental to the normal operation of a 
> recreational
> vessel; except that this subparagraph does not apply to rubbish, trash,
> garbage, or other such materials discharged overboard by a recreational
> vessel'.

One needs to know the context provided by Section 502 of 33 USC 1362 where 
clause (C) is being inserted. This is what I found:

"(6) The term "pollutant" means dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator 
residue, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, chemical wastes, 
biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discarded 
equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt and industrial, municipal, and 
agricultural waste discharged into water. This term does not mean "(A) 
sewage from vessels or a discharge incidental to the normal operation of a 
vessel of the Armed Forces within the meaning of section 312 of this Act ; 
or "(B) water, gas, or other material which is injected into a well to 
facilitate production of oil or gas, or water derived in association with 
oil or gas production and disposed of in a well, if the well used either to 
facilitate production or for disposal purposes is approved by authority of 
the State in which the well is located, and if such State determines that 
such injection or disposal will not result in the degradation of ground or 
surface water resources.

['502(6) amended by PL 104-106]

So Clause (C) is telling us more things that are not pollutants. Which is 
good for us.

-- Jim Ague