Read Me or Pay Up [/align][hr]
This was posted on another site and without a doubt it should be posted here too.
A tickler email was sent to me, by a friend, about this issue:
I'm sure a lot of you know about the @#&^%$ court ruling in Sep, 2006 regarding dropping the exemption of recreational boats from EPA regulations concerning ballast water discharge from commercial boats (the concern of the regulation is mostly about invasive marine species from other countries like China).
The EPA, NMMA, other boating organizations and even the environmental group that brought the suit to tighten the regs, for ships entering here from foreign ports, did not want the court to touch the 34 year exemption for rec boats. But some, brainless, radical, psychotropically drug hindered, head-up-his-or her-a$$, uninformed, 9th Circuit Court (where have we seen that one before - can you say "Pledge of Allegiance"?) judge decided to strike down the exemption.
Some here may not know about the implications of this, so here's a link to some information about this issue. If the EPA's appeal (may take a few years) of the ruling fails or congress doesn't enact specific legislation exempting rec boats from these regs, we all (~18 million of us) may be subject to discharge permit fees (by Sep, 2008 ) that could range from $800 - $2000 just to have a R/W or bilge pump in your boat. There's a video on the site and you need Media Player 11 to view it:
http://www.boattest.com/Resources/vi...spx?NewsID=162
and/or (shorter)
http://www.boattest.com/nmma.aspx
I've sent my letter via the site[/align]
BOAT OWNERS NEED TO ACT NOW!!!
