Clean Boating Act--A WIN for Rec. Boaters!
05-07-2008 | 01:14 PM
#55
SORE MEMBER
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,984
Likes: 2
From: 29°50'49.74"N 95° 5'17.55"W.......TEXAS
Did That and got a reply
Dear Mr. Wobble
:
Thank you for your recent letter in support of recreational boating. As a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, I appreciate knowing of your interest in this matter.
Recreational boating is part of our proud Texas heritage, and we must strike a balance between the need for environmental regulations and leisure activities. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates large point source polluters, such as commercial shipping vessels, and cruise and cargo ships, under the Clean Water Act. Since 1973, recreational boats have been exempted from obtaining certain permits used to regulate these large vessels. You may be certain that I will continue to support legislative efforts that fully and permanently restore a long-standing regulation that excludes recreational boaters and anglers from federal and state permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act.
I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of all Texans in the United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 228-2856
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov
Please sign up for my monthly newsletter at http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/newsletter.
PLEASE NOTE:
Due to the nature of electronic communication, if you did not receive this e-mail directly from my office, I cannot guarantee that the text has not been altered. If you have questions about the validity of this message, or would like to respond to this message, please use the web form available at my website, http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/contact.
:Thank you for your recent letter in support of recreational boating. As a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, I appreciate knowing of your interest in this matter.
Recreational boating is part of our proud Texas heritage, and we must strike a balance between the need for environmental regulations and leisure activities. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates large point source polluters, such as commercial shipping vessels, and cruise and cargo ships, under the Clean Water Act. Since 1973, recreational boats have been exempted from obtaining certain permits used to regulate these large vessels. You may be certain that I will continue to support legislative efforts that fully and permanently restore a long-standing regulation that excludes recreational boaters and anglers from federal and state permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act.
I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of all Texans in the United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 228-2856
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov
Please sign up for my monthly newsletter at http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/newsletter.
PLEASE NOTE:
Due to the nature of electronic communication, if you did not receive this e-mail directly from my office, I cannot guarantee that the text has not been altered. If you have questions about the validity of this message, or would like to respond to this message, please use the web form available at my website, http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/contact.
05-07-2008 | 01:23 PM
#56
Gold Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,225
Likes: 2
From: Fort Lauderdale, FL
05-07-2008 | 01:36 PM
#57
Registered
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 364
Likes: 0
From: CHI-CA-GO
Sent one to all fedral & went ahead and added state reps.
One of the reps responded multiple times
Dear Mr. Schmidt:
Thank you for writing me regarding the recent exemption made to an EPA regulation on the Clean Water Act regarding recreational boating.
The Clean Water Act was originally enacted in 1948, but was significantly revised in 1972. Part of the bill, which set out to improve water quality, required permits for ships known for heavy polluting, such as cruise ships, container ships, and supertankers. While the legislation affected all aquatic vessels, the EPA exempted small recreational boats. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals recently determined that the EPA was acting beyond its scope with the exemption, and required the creation of a new permit system by September 2008.
We should be proud of the abundance of outdoor and recreational activities Ohio has to offer. Our state is home to the country’s eighth largest group of registered watercraft users, and the boating industry contributes $5.4 million in watercraft registration fees, $15.6 million in marine fuel taxes annually, and has an estimated overall impact of $2 billion dollars a year on Ohio's economy. Implementation of a new permit system has the potential to deter prospective recreational boat buyers and could also be harmful to the industry not only in Ohio, but across the United States as well.
I will continue to monitor this issue in the months ahead and will keep your thoughts in mind as legislation regarding this issue moves before the Senate.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
And a week later this:
Dear Mr. Schmidt:
Thank you for your recent correspondence in regard to the Clean Boating Act of 2008 (S. 2766).
I have heard from thousands of Ohioans about S.2766, and am pleased to be a cosponsor. This legislation fixes an unintended consequence of the court’s Clean Water Act revisions, but also strikes a needed balance in developing best management practices to stop the future spread of invasive species.
We should be proud of the abundance of outdoor and recreational activities Ohio has to offer. The boating industry is tremendously important to our state and we must ensure that boaters and anglers are able to enjoy our state’s numerous lakes and rivers.
I will push for quick passage of this bill and appreciate your advocacy on the issue. Thanks again for writing.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
So maybe it's working to write them.
One of the reps responded multiple times
Dear Mr. Schmidt:
Thank you for writing me regarding the recent exemption made to an EPA regulation on the Clean Water Act regarding recreational boating.
The Clean Water Act was originally enacted in 1948, but was significantly revised in 1972. Part of the bill, which set out to improve water quality, required permits for ships known for heavy polluting, such as cruise ships, container ships, and supertankers. While the legislation affected all aquatic vessels, the EPA exempted small recreational boats. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals recently determined that the EPA was acting beyond its scope with the exemption, and required the creation of a new permit system by September 2008.
We should be proud of the abundance of outdoor and recreational activities Ohio has to offer. Our state is home to the country’s eighth largest group of registered watercraft users, and the boating industry contributes $5.4 million in watercraft registration fees, $15.6 million in marine fuel taxes annually, and has an estimated overall impact of $2 billion dollars a year on Ohio's economy. Implementation of a new permit system has the potential to deter prospective recreational boat buyers and could also be harmful to the industry not only in Ohio, but across the United States as well.
I will continue to monitor this issue in the months ahead and will keep your thoughts in mind as legislation regarding this issue moves before the Senate.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
And a week later this:
Dear Mr. Schmidt:
Thank you for your recent correspondence in regard to the Clean Boating Act of 2008 (S. 2766).
I have heard from thousands of Ohioans about S.2766, and am pleased to be a cosponsor. This legislation fixes an unintended consequence of the court’s Clean Water Act revisions, but also strikes a needed balance in developing best management practices to stop the future spread of invasive species.
We should be proud of the abundance of outdoor and recreational activities Ohio has to offer. The boating industry is tremendously important to our state and we must ensure that boaters and anglers are able to enjoy our state’s numerous lakes and rivers.
I will push for quick passage of this bill and appreciate your advocacy on the issue. Thanks again for writing.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
So maybe it's working to write them.
