www.iFourWinns.com

BOHICA here comes the EPA w more brilliant ideas on Boating.

April 4, 2011

Dear BoatU.S. Member,

The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is developing future clean boating requirements for all recreational boats in the next few months, and they need to hear from you. During April, they are hosting weekly "webinars" to solicit boater input (April 6 - 6 pm, April 14 - 8 pm, April 22 - 10 am, and April 25 - 12 pm; all eastern time). I'm writing to encourage you to participate in one of these online events.

For more information on the webinars and to register in advance (which is required): http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguida ... cipate.cfm

A specific list of proposed requirements is not yet available. We do know that sewage will not be discussed or covered - it's part of a different law. EPA is looking at several broad categories of vessel discharges:

Antifouling paints and zincs
Graywater (from showers and sinks)
Bilge water (with concern about oil and grease, which is already illegal to discharge)
Cleaning products/maintenance practices
Disposal of garbage and fishing waste
Transport of invasive species
We need you to help EPA know that any new mandatory "management practices" must be based in science, and should be reasonable, practical, and economical. You should share with EPA the clean boating practices that you already employ, or that can be easily adopted within your boating. For ideas:
http://www.boatus.com/foundation/cleanwater/

For additional information on this topic from BoatU.S. go to:
http://www.boatus.com/gov/cba/

You may also submit questions, comments or concerns directly to CleanBoatingAct-HQ@EPA.GOV before June 2, 2011.

For more info from EPA:
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguida ... /about.cfm

It is crucial that EPA hear from a variety of boaters on this topic. We hope you can tune into one of these sessions so that EPA can gain your perspective.

Many thanks for being a BoatU.S. Member!

Margaret Podlich
Vice President, BoatU.S. Government Affairs
GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com
703-461-2878 x8363
BoatUS.com/Gov

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2011 Bennington 2075 GLi
2012 Key West 211 DC
2005 Four winns 180 Horizon LE
1997 Horizon QXsold
2000 248 Vistasold
2002 Key West 2020WA sold

Yep, before long instead of threads like "I'd like to drain our galley sink directly overboard" you will be seeing "How to drain our three sinks and shower into the grey water holding tank". They just made the floating houses in our yacht club pump all grey water into holding tanks. Probably a $2,000 hit per floating house (if not more).

_________________

Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

Yep leave it to them, the fools who allowed ethanol in marine engines with not one wit of technical understanding of why it's a BAD idea, and now they are saying, that it's legal to use E-15 in vehicles made after 2007 and later, but the fools, again, do not look at each owners manual, to even find out if the MANUFACTURER, WHO ACTUALLY DOES TESTS, SAID IT WAS ACCEPTABLE. No doubt that will cause confusion, and headaches, all round the country. Once again, we learn, that non engineers, should not be allowed to legislate, engineering issues.

Well guys, make sure you don't have leaky engines, because oil in the bilge will cost a lot if you get caught with a bilge pump pumping out a bit of oil in the water...

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

The bureaucrats who do this kind of stuff couldn't care less who says it's OK or what kind of trouble it causes you and I. It's the AGENDA that matters.

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

+1

But, a group of us just returned from the state capitol after successfully killing a bill that was about to cost about 200 jobs and spend about 1 million dollars in taxpayer money due to one family complaining, when you see how clueless some of these politicians are its truly scary. We were told up front if we didnt hire a lobbyist ($75K up front) it couldnt be done and the bill was getting passed so dont bother showing up. The committee actually listened to our arguments, read the papers that were written, reviewed the cost and with one small town mayor on our side it was successfully killed.

Moral of the story is if you sit back and figure someone else will handle it for you these days because it sounds ridiculous - dont count on it. Send an e-mail, get involved, because the enviro-nazis for the other side will be there in full force voicing their opinion. If all they hear is the greenies yelling they will pass whatever it takes to shut them up.

Here's my brush with the topic -

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/lo ... ml?sid=101

AMAZING at how skillfully the reporter twisted my words!

_________________
Fun2bethad
1999 F.W. 238 Vista
"Don't Panic!" (upside down of course)

And don't forget to add the NOAA Fee of $15 per fisherman to count fish! Don't look now, but here comes BIG BROTHER!

_________________
-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold