Rep. Brown applauds congressional action on boating discharges
Associated Press
Thursday, July 24, 2008
U.S. Rep. Henry Brown is applauding this week's congressional action delaying rules requiring boaters to get EPA permits for discharges from their vessels.
A federal court ruling two years ago would have, starting this fall, ended a 30-year exemption allowing incidental discharges from small boats.
Brown, who represents South Carolina's coastal 1st District, said that as a result, boaters could have faced fines of more than $32,000 a day for violations.
Congress agreed to the delay the rules giving regulators more time to evaluate how to regulate such discharges from small boats.
The action does not change laws regulating the discharge of oil or other pollutants.
|
(Requires free registration.)