Clean Boating Act of 2008

A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to address certain discharges incidental to the normal operation of a recreational vessel.

7/29/2008--Public Law. (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
Clean Boating Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to provide that no permit shall be required by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the national pollutant discharge elimination system for the discharge from a recreational vessel of graywater, bilge water, cooling water, weather deck runoff, oil water separator effluent, or effluent from properly functioning marine engines or for any other discharge that is incidental to the normal operation of such vessel.
Defines a "recreational vessel" as any vessel that is leased, rented, or chartered to a person for that person's pleasure or that is manufactured or used primarily for pleasure, excluding vessels that are subject to Coast Guard inspection and that are engaged in commercial use or that carry paying passengers.
Requires the Administrator to:
(1) determine the discharges that are incidental to the normal operation (excluding sewage) of a recreational vessel for which it is reasonable and practicable to develop management practices to mitigate adverse impacts on U.S. waters within a year of this Act's enactment and to review such determinations every five years; and
(2) develop management practices for recreational vessels to mitigate the adverse impacts of such discharges on U.S. waters. Directs the Administrator, in determining what discharges are incidental to normal operations, to consider:
(1) the nature of the discharge;
(2) its environmental effects;
(3) the practicability of using a management practice;
(4) the effect that such practice would have on the operation, operational capability, or safety of the vessel;
(5) applicable federal and state law and international standards; and
(6) the economic costs of the use of the management practice. Requires the Administrator to:
(1) promulgate federal standards of performance (which may distinguish among vessel types) for each discharge for which such a management practice is developed; and
(2) review them every five years. Requires the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to promulgate regulations governing the design, construction, installation, and use of management practices for recreational vessels as necessary to meet such standards. Prohibits a recreational vessel from operating in or discharging in U.S. waters if such owner or operator is not using applicable management practices in compliance with such regulations.


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Sponsor

• Sen. Bill Nelson [D, FL]
• and 39 Co-Sponsors
  • Wayne Allard
  • Sen. Evan Bayh [D, IN]
  • Sen. Christopher Bond [R, MO]
  • Sen. Barbara Boxer [D, CA]
  • Sen. Sherrod Brown [D, OH]
  • Sen. Jim Bunning [R, KY]
  • Sen. Richard Burr [R, NC]
  • Sen. Maria Cantwell [D, WA]
  • Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D, MD]
  • Sen. Thomas Carper [D, DE]
  • Sen. Saxby Chambliss [R, GA]
  • Sen. Thad Cochran [R, MS]
  • Norm Coleman
  • Sen. Susan Collins [R, ME]
  • Sen. Bob Corker [R, TN]
  • Larry Craig
  • Sen. Michael Crapo [R, ID]
  • Sen. Christopher Dodd [D, CT]
  • Elizabeth Dole
  • Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D, CA]
  • Sen. John Isakson [R, GA]
  • Sen. John Kerry [D, MA]
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D, MN]
  • Sen. Herbert Kohl [D, WI]
  • Sen. Mary Landrieu [D, LA]
  • Sen. Carl Levin [D, MI]
  • Sen. Richard Lugar [R, IN]
  • Sen. Mel Martinez [R, FL]
  • Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D, MD]
  • Sen. John Reed [D, RI]
  • Sen. Charles Schumer [D, NY]
  • Sen. Olympia Snowe [R, ME]
  • Sen. Arlen Specter [D, PA]
  • Sen. Debbie Ann Stabenow [D, MI]
  • Sen. David Vitter [R, LA]
  • Sen. George Voinovich [R, OH]
  • Sen. Jim Webb [D, VA]
  • Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D, RI]
  • Sen. Roger Wicker [R, MS]
  close

Committees

• Senate Environment and Public Works
• 1 more
  • House Transportation and Infrastructure
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to S.2766

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by Senate		Voted on by House		Considered By President		This Bill Has Become Law
March 13, 2008		July 22, 2008		July 22, 2008		July 29, 2008		July 29, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Signed on Jul 29, 2008.
• Enacted on Jul 29, 2008. Became Public Law No: 110-288.
• Jul 25, 2008. Presented to President.
• Passed by voice vote in the House on Jul 22, 2008. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
• Jul 22, 2008: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2766.
• Jul 22, 2008: Considered under suspension of the rules.
• Jul 22, 2008: Mr. Oberstar moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
• Jul 22, 2008: Held at the desk.
• Jul 22, 2008: Received in the House.
• Jul 22, 2008: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
• Passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate on Jul 22, 2008. Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
• Jul 22, 2008. Cleared for White House.
• Added to calendar on Jun 23, 2008: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 832..
• Jun 23, 2008: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 110-398. Additional views filed.
• May 21, 2008: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
• Added to calendar on May 21, 2008: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably..
• Mar 13, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
• Introduced on Mar 13, 2008.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.5949

Related Issue Areas:

• Water pollution
• Administrative procedure
• Boats and boating
• Coast guard
• 13 more
• Department of Homeland Security
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Environmental protection
• Executive departments
• Law
• Licenses
• Marine engines
• Marine pollution
• Marine resources
• Sports
• Standards
• Transportation
• Water pollution control

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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In the News

July 30, 2008 Some boaters exempt from permit

It appears that recreational boaters dodged a legal bullet last week when both houses of Congress passed S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008," which ...

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Source: Press & Sun-Bulletin, NY

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July 29, 2008 Dave Henderson: Passed bill a major victory for recreational boaters

Both houses of Congress last week passed S. 2766, “The Clean Boating Act of 2008,” which will permanently restore a long-standing exemption for recreational ...

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Source: Ithaca Journal, NY

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July 29, 2008 Clean Boating Act Passed By Congress

In a display of bipartisan support for recreational boating, both the House and Senate have passed S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" which will ...

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Source: The Beacon, OH

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Blog Coverage

January 03, 2009 Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club | Boat Buzz

ALEXANDRIA, VA, July 22, 2008 - In a remarkable display of bipartisan support for recreational boating, both the House and Senate today passed S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" which will permanently restore a long-standing ...

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Source: Untitled

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December 29, 2008 RegTrak: Environmental Federal Register, Vol. 73, No. 249 ...

On July 29, 2008, Senate bill S. 2766 (``the Clean Boating Act of 2008'') was signed into law (Pub. L. 110-288). This law provides that recreational vessels shall not be subject to the requirement to obtain an NPDES permit to authorize ...

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December 26, 2008 Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club | Boat Buzz

ALEXANDRIA, VA, July 22, 2008 - In a remarkable display of bipartisan support for recreational boating, both the House and Senate today passed S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" which will permanently restore a long-standing ...

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