Please check out this info on the EPA's Clean Boating Act

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

This came from Boat U.S and the info is at:

www.boatus.com/gov/cba

[Stu Jackson]

I really appreciate all that BoatUS has done for us over the years.

My initial impression about thus new EPA "cr*p":  just another sticker that'll cost $20 to stick on our boats along with the oil discharge and garbage practice stickers.

Nonsense.

Most boaters, even stinkpotters, are pretty good about not fouling their own environments.

They still oughta go after the major polluters, which here in our neck of the woods are the refineries, which spew more crap daily than all the boats in the San Francisco Bay area could do in their lifetimes.

Leave me alone, enough is enough.

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

Stu, you are "right on", that's why we need to sign up for one of the webinars offered to voice our opinion.

[Ralph Masters]

With the Japanese dumping over three million gallons of contaminated water into the ocean why should I do any thing different??  My "management" practices have always been and always will be one of concern for the ocean, rather I'm tied in my slip or sailing in the bay or open ocean.  I use low sudsing environment friendly cleaner for the top sides and when there is water in the bilges it gets wet vaced out and put in bottles and carried ashore for disposal.  And my marina has a pump out station with easy access, and no cost.

Ralph
Ciao Bella

[lazybone]

Me no read so good, so there's probably something I missed in the article?  I didn't see anything new.
What new burdens and costs are they proposing?
What are we upset about?

[Ken Juul]

I think we all agree that we need to do our utmost to keep our waters clean....the question is how best to do this.  The Clean Boating Act may impose additional and perhaps unfair restrictions by developing management practices for several broad categories of vessel discharges (e.g., release of antifouling and corrosion control agents, transport of aquatic nuisance species, bilgewater, cleaning and maintenance related discharges, fishing waste, and graywater).

The question is often asked: Why is EPA regulating recreational vessels when there are other more potentially significant sources of pollution? Their answer is: Research has shown that recreational vessels can play a role in the transportation of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) between bodies of water, which represent a very serious disruption in aquatic environments. In addition, the discharges from vessels sometimes contain environmentally harmful concentrations of pollutants.

They say a list of the management practices will be made available when EPA publishes the proposed rule, but having worked around govt agencies for most of my life I know it is much easier to help form the management practices than react after their development.   I suggest you at least listen to one Webinar and then make up your mind how you want to proceed.

[Ron Hill]

The EPA is a reflection of our times and the US Congress!!  Enough said!

[Wayne]

Basically another shakedown by another government agency.  I think it ironic that here in SF Bay several cities have sewage overflows during severe rainfall events resulting in recomendations that no one go into the water.  This has been going on for years, yet is the small guys that the EPA wants to regulate.  More $$$ for them . . .

[Ken Juul]

Ron & Wayne,
My point exactly....maybe I didn't make it clear enough. 

Much easier to make a fuss and stop bac laws from being made, than do nothing and then fuss at stupid regs that will be forced on us.