Boater to hold gray water

Permit requires boaters to hold 'gray' water

BY JIM WAYMER | Florida Today
Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Careful swabbing the deck. Better not let any soapy suds spill overboard. It could soon be a violation of the Clean Water Act.
By Sept. 30, most recreational boats less than 79 feet in length are due to fall under a new federal permit that forces captains to keep better tabs of their suds, drips and spills.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants to bring most recreational boats under the same regulations that affect large commercial vessels, removing an exception that has protected them for 35 years.

Boaters would be tasked with preventing the discharge of soapy and oily "gray" water from sinks, showers, engine cooling systems or just from washing their boat.

Those with vessels less than 79 feet long won't have to fill out any form or do anything to get the permit. But after it takes effect, contract inspectors would be allowed to board their boats to check for compliance.

Fines could run up to $32,500 per day for some violations.
"Concerned? It's the stupidest thing we've ever heard of," said Bob Becker of Satellite Beach, education officer with the Banana River Sail and Power Squadron.
"There's no way you can get away from having rain water dropping off your deck."

Untreated "gray water" can contain oils, grease, bacteria, toxic metals and cancer-causing organic and inorganic compounds, as well as nutrients that can cause harmful algae blooms, which spur fish kills.

The new permit would ban batteries, oil, and used oil products from being released in effluent.
It would also require boats to minimize gray water discharge in heavily trafficked areas and in marine sanctuaries, wildlife refuges, national wild and scenic rivers, and national wilderness areas.
Boaters also would not be able to dump spent bait and fish waste overboard.

Both commercial and recreational boaters are lobbying Congress to exempt them from the new regulations, originally intended to prevent the introduction of invasive species from ship ballast water into ecologically fragile estuaries.
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, is helping to lead an effort to exempt recreational boats from the restrictions, but not smaller commercial fishing boats.

Ray Coyle, 49, a commercial fisherman from Indialantic, has no problem taking extra steps to keep the lagoon clean.
His livelihood depends upon a healthy river, full of pompano and other fish.
He just wants the same rules to apply to everybody, not only to commercial fishermen.

"That's just selective enforcement. There are only a handful of fishermen left," Coyle said.
The new EPA permits originated from a lawsuit filed by environmental groups seeking better control of invasive species released when ships empty ballast water near or inside of ports.
The Indian River Lagoon already has a few alien invaders, some thought to have been introduced by boats.
The Australian spotted jellyfish, the Asian green mussel and South American charru mussel all have been introduced within the past seven years.

While the original lawsuit aimed to stop such invaders, a federal judge's 2006 ruling in the case ordered the EPA to expand its regulations to bring "gray water" from normal boat operations under the Clean Water Act.

The EPA appealed the ruling but plans in the meantime to administer the new permit program to comply with the judge's order.
The EPA would run the permit program for at least the next five years.

Then states could take it over, something boaters fear could lead to a fee being imposed.
"In terms of realistic enforcement, the Coast Guard and state, in my mind, already have their hands full," said Margaret Podlich, a lobbyist for BoatUS, the largest national group of recreational boat owners, with about 650,000 members.
Most boaters already take pride in keeping the lagoon clean, said Steve Smith, manager of SunDance Marine, a marina off U.S. 1 in Melbourne.

"A majority of the people are good, safe boaters," Smith said. "But you've got a group out there who don't care. They don't care if they drip a cup of oil in the water."