Deckboss hears U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, and 21 cosponsors today introduced legislation to permanently exempt fishing vessels from having to have permits for incidental discharges.
Here's the relevant language:
SEC. 7. EXEMPTIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL. — No permit shall be required or prohibition enforced under any other provision of law for, nor shall any standards regarding a discharge incidental to the normal operation of a vessel under this Act apply to —
(1) a discharge incidental to the normal operation of a vessel if the vessel is less than 79 feet in length and engaged in commercial service (as defined in section 2101(5) of title 46, United States Code);
(2) a discharge incidental to the normal operation of a vessel if the vessel is a fishing vessel, including a fish processing vessel and a fish tender vessel (as defined in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code);
(3) a discharge incidental to the normal operation of a vessel if the vessel is a recreational vessel (as defined in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code);
I am sure that Mark deserves a big atta-boy for letting the scuppers drain the deck with out a government permit, but was it not our "representatives" that wrote these idiotic rules in the first place?
ReplyDeleteNo, it was not our reps that wrote these rules. The vessel general permit rules came from the EPA. The EPA originally didn't want to regulate this, but they lost a lawsuit brought by environmentalists in San Francisco about the applicability of the Clean Water Act to boats. So it is another case of overzealous enviros and liberal judges looking at old statutory language with no practical understanding or common sense. Thank you Senator Begich for working to correct this injustice.
ReplyDelete