Since 2006, when Congress deemed it necessary that the EPA organize a permit system for the operational discharge of every vessel, recreational boaters have been stuck in limbo as to whether the activities they adore the most on the water would be regulated further or not. This permit system, which was targeted at large commercial boats and refineries near large bodies of water, would not only have added to the annual cost of operating/registering your boat, but also would have continued the growing list of other tough regulations on recreational boating, such as the Clean Vessel Act and Oil Pollution Act.

Two years later, on July 30^th President Bush signed the Clean Boating Act of 2008 (only 8 days after Congress passed the bill), “[restoring] a 35-year old Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exemption for water-based, non-polluting incidental discharges that occur in the normal operation of a recreational boat, such as weather deck run-off and engine coolant water. The legislation recognizes that discharges from recreational boats, which are operated on average 31 days a year, are completely distinct from commercial ship discharges. To help protect the health of the nation’s waterways on which recreational boaters and anglers depend, the bill also pursues whether reasonable best management practices need to be put into place for some recreational boat discharges.”

This new bill is not only a landmark victory for recreational boaters all over the country, but is also a testament to the strength and relentless spirit of the boaters everywhere.

- Jimmy

For more information on the Clean Water Act of 2008:

• Read this article from Boatus.com
• And another from MarketWatch.com