Clean Boating Act Of 2008
Recreational Boaters of California (RBOC) requests your urgent action to support this legislation now before the US Senate.
Please distribute this information to all your members.

The following message from Boat US explains how important it is for boaters to contact their Federal representatives in both the Congress and the Senate to express support for Senate Bill S. 2766.

Sample letters and e mail contact information is available on the RBOC web site below as well as the Boat US web site at the end of this document.
California voters should contact both Senator Boxer and Senator Feinstein, as well as their own representative in Congress.

Thank You,
Cleve Hardaker
Director RBOC

http://www.rboc.org/clean/index.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com

BOATERS NEED LEGISLATORS TO ACT QUICKLY ON
NEWLY-INTRODUCED "CLEAN BOATING ACT OF 2008"

Bi-Partisan Legislation Would Permanently Restore
Clean Water Act Exemption for Recreational Boats

WASHINGTON, DC, March 19, 2008 - A newly introduced Senate bill, "The
Clean Boating Act of 2008" (S. 2766) promises to be practical
solution to a looming permit deadline for recreational boaters,
anglers, and charter boats.

Because of a lawsuit targeting ocean-going commercial vessels
carrying ballast water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is required to implement an "operational discharge permit" for
all vessels in the United States - including recreational boats - by
September 30, 2008. Without a change in law, all boaters will need to
obtain this permit, as early as this summer.

However, with a possible Senate vote in the next few months, Boat
Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) is urging
recreational boaters to quickly contact their Senate and House
legislators to support The Clean Boating Act of 2008.

S. 2766 was introduced on Thursday, March 13 by Senate Environment
and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bill
Nelson (D-Fla.). It follows two bills originally introduced in the
spring and fall of 2007 as "The Recreational Boating Act of 2007"
(H.R. 2550/S. 2067) by Representatives Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) and
Candice Miller (R-Mich.) and Senator Mel Martinez (R-Fla.).

"Sens. Boxer and Nelson's bill now has the best chance of gaining
widespread political support. As a result, we need every boater,
every angler, and anyone who uses a boat to contact their senators
and representatives to ask for their support of this bill," said
BoatU.S. Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich.

"S. 2766 recognizes the fact that normal operational discharges from
recreational boats, such as engine cooling water or deck runoff from
rain, should not be viewed under the Clean Water Act as being similar
to a commercial ship's ballast water," said Podlich. "This bill does
not weaken any existing environmental laws restricting the overboard
discharge of oil, fuel, garbage, or sewage."

S. 2766 also requires the EPA and U.S. Coast Guard to investigate the
need for potential management practices for some recreational boat
discharges over the next three years. Each step in this development
process will include a public comment period and be subject to
"reasonable and practical" criterion.

"BoatU.S. has been working with the National Marine Manufacturers
Association (NMMA) and other groups to seek a viable recreational
boating solution to the upcoming September permit deadline. We
appreciate the leadership shown by members of Congress who understand
that applying a new permit to recreational boating will not
accomplish anything tangible, and will only create a new unnecessary
bureaucracy, " added Podlich.

To help boaters contact their federal legislators or learn more about
the issue, go to http://www.BoatBlue.org or http://www.BoatUS.com/gov.