Clean Boating Act of 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 Boat Blue By: Kelly Kaylor
Senate Committee Passes Clean Boating Act of 2008
May 21, 2008 – The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) today praised the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee for unanimously approving The Clean Boating Act of 2008 (S. 2766) introduced by Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and EPW Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). Since its introduction in March, the Clean Boating Act has accumulated 34 bipartisan sponsors.
The Senate Committee’s approval follows last week’s passage of the Clean Boating Act in the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, chaired by Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), maintaining the momentum and strong bipartisan support this commonsense, consensus legislation has received from throughout the country. NMMA urges Congressional leaders to capitalize on the bill’s momentum, expediting its movement through the full House of Representatives and Senate and quickly sending to the President for his signature into law well in advance of the September 2008 deadline.
“We thank Chairman Boxer, Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Senator Larry Craig (R-ID), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and all the Members of the Committee for approving this crucial bill in committee and speaking to the importance of resolving this issue for America’s recreational boaters,” said Scott Gudes, vice president of Government Relations for NMMA. “While this is excellent progress, if the Clean Boating Act is not passed into law by September, America’s 59 million boaters will be subject to unreasonable permitting requirements, bureaucratic red tape and potentially costly fees, and excessive legal jeopardy through citizen suits.”
About The Clean Boating Act: The Clean Boating Act would fully and permanently restore a longstanding regulation that excludes recreational boaters and anglers from the federal and state permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act designed for land-based industrial facilities and ocean-going commercial ships. This exemption was overturned by a federal court in 2006 in a case focused exclusively on ballast water from commercial vessels. The Clean Boating Act has the support of the $37 billion recreational marine industry, the nation’s 59 million adult recreational boaters and more than 50 organizations involved in outdoor recreation, sportfishing, hunting and conservation.
About NMMA: National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters in the United States. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy, market research and data, product quality assurance and marketing communications.
