[Psml] Fwd: BoatUS Alert: Contact Your Members of Congress!

[Tony Biegen]

If you haven't already received this, please 
read, act and pass it on.  No need to identify 
yourself as a USPS member, just protest to your 
legislators to stop this stupidity1

>From: "BoatUS Government Affairs"<PubAffairs at BoatUS.com>
>Subject: BoatUS Alert: Contact Your Members of Congress!
>X-Originating-IP: [12.193.85.150]
>To: Tonyb815 at verizon.net
>Reply-to: "BoatUS Government Affairs"<GovtAffairs at BoatUS.com>
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>
>July 23, 2007
>
>Dear BoatUS Member,
>
>For 34 years the federal Environmental 
>Protection Agency (EPA) has exempted discharges 
>from recreational boats from the Clean Water Act 
>permit system. Regretfully, a recent court 
>ruling cancelled this permit exemption. EPA is 
>required by the court decision to develop and 
>implement by September 30, 2008 a national 
>permit system for ALL vessels in the United 
>States for a variety of normal operational discharges.
>
>We have been working behind the scenes with 
>other boating organizations to get the exemption 
>reinstated for recreational boats. Fortunately, 
>the Recreational Boating Act of 2007 (H.R. 2550) 
>has been introduced by Representatives Gene 
>Taylor (D-Miss) and Candice Miller (R-Mich) 
>which would protect recreational boats from 
>being swept into this unnecessary and expensive permitting system.
>
>It is critically important that H.R. 2550 be 
>passed and your support is essential. Please 
>contact your Congressman and Senators TODAY and 
>ask that they co-sponsor or support H.R. 2550.
>
>If the permit system becomes a reality, you will 
>be required to pay for a state permit for each 
>of your boats. EPA will be monitoring your deck 
>runoff, grey water, bilge water, engine cooling 
>water, and the use of copper bottom paints.
>
>The original lawsuit that led to this court 
>decision sought to address ballast water 
>discharges from large ocean-going ships, which 
>can introduce damaging aquatic invasive species 
>into U.S. waters. Keeping our waterways clean 
>and preventing the spread of invasive species is 
>of utmost importance to the future of boating. 
>But taking a complex permitting system designed 
>for industrial dischargers and applying it to 
>recreational boats will not yield significant 
>environmental benefits and it will come at a 
>very high cost. Requiring recreational boaters 
>to purchase a permit would not prevent the spread of invasive species.
>
>BoatUS has been a leader in educating boaters 
>about Clean Boating practices for more than a 
>decade. Our nonprofit Foundation has funded 
>local education projects on invasive species 
>prevention, helped develop voluntary Clean 
>Marina programs, and authored much of the 
>country's Clean Boating outreach. These positive 
>education efforts are making a difference.
>
>Please ask your elected federal representatives 
>to support H.R. 2550. It is common-sense 
>legislation. As you send your emails to your 
>Members of Congress, please copy BoatUS at 
><mailto:GovtAffairs at BoatUS.com>GovtAffairs at BoatUS.com 
>. We’d also like to ask you to send a copy of 
>your correspondence to the EPA, so they can see 
>how this will affect citizens. However, please 
>know that if you choose to send it to EPA, it 
>will become a part of the public record. EPA’s 
>email is 
><mailto:ow-docket at epa.gov>ow-docket at epa.gov , 
>and your email needs to have a subject line with Docket ID No. OW-2007-0483.
>
>For More Information:
>
><http://smtpbulk.boatus.net/t?r=3&c=1622&l=198&ctl=BC5C:9D42F714A31ACD7CAA3C0EE4E20A8734>Click 
>here for Frequently Asked Questions
>
><http://smtpbulk.boatus.net/t?r=3&c=1622&l=198&ctl=BC5B:9D42F714A31ACD7CAA3C0EE4E20A8734>Click 
>here for a sample email letter
>
><http://smtpbulk.boatus.net/t?r=3&c=1622&l=198&ctl=BC5D:9D42F714A31ACD7CAA3C0EE4E20A8734>Click 
>here to easily send an email to your Members of Congress.
>
><http://smtpbulk.boatus.net/bin/ftaf?id=9D42F714A31ACD7CAA3C0EE4E20A8734>Forward 
>this Action Alert to your friends, your fishing 
>and boat club, your marina neighbors, and your local press!
>
>Thank you for your help.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Margaret Podlich
>
>BoatUS Government Affairs
><mailto:GovtAffairs at BoatUS.com>GovtAffairs at BoatUS.com
>703-461-2864 or 703-461-2878 x8363
>
>
>
>*****
>
>PLEASE NOTE: This email was sent to 
>Tonyb815 at verizon.net. If you prefer not to 
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><http://smtpbulk.boatus.net/u?id=9D42F714A31ACD7CAA3C0EE4E20A8734>click 
>here to unsubscribe.
>
>© 2007 Boat Owners Association of The United States
>880 S. Pickett St.
>Alexandria, VA 22304
>
>All Rights Reserved

   =|;-} Tony Biegen {:-})
  Voice/FAX: (516) 797-0464
EMail: tonyb815 at verizon.net
"As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never
point the wrong way"

















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