On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:43:36 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:

BoatU.S. is urging all boaters to contact their legislators to co-
sponsor H.R. 2550 which is a common sense solution designed to make
the previous exemption for recreational boats permanent

I just finished the following - in the mail tomorrow:

08/08/07


Captain Thomas E. Francis
XXXXXX
XXXXXX
XXXXXX

The Honorable Joseph Courtney
Representative - 2nd Congressional District, CT
215 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Courtney:

I am writing you concerning H.R. 2550 - Recreational Boating Act of
2007.

In September of 2006, The Federal District Court for Northern
California negated a recreational boating exemption from commercial
EPA requirements. In effect, the Court is requiring the EPA to apply
the same standards and permitting process to recreational boaters as
it currently does for commercial shipping. The EPA had previously
exempted recreational boaters from regulations concerning everyday
deck runoff, bilge water, engine cooling water, or grey water from
sinks or showers recognizing that the environmental impact to our
oceans, lakes and rivers is not the same as commercial vessels. The
Court held that the EPA did not have the authority to exempt
recreational boaters from these regulations and directed the EPA to
enforce the standards across the board including a complicated,
onerous and expensive permitting process.

H. R. 2550 - The Recreational Boating Act of 2007, seeks to address
this by continuing the exemption through legislation and removing the
requirements of commercial regulations from the recreational boating
community.

I urge you to vigorously support and/or co-sponsor H. R. 2550. I am
sure you are aware of the importance that recreational boating has to
your District. Requiring recreational boaters to adhere to commercial
standards and permitting system is not solving a problem, it is
creating one. Your support for H.R. 2550 will go a long way towards
releasing recreational boaters in your District from these ridiculous
requirements.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, etc., etc., etc...