Common Sense in Washington?

The July 2 edition of ‘Lectronic Latitude reported that the EPA was developing a ‘discharge permit’ for the 17 million recreational boats in the U.S. as a result of a Circuit Court ruling that revoked the 35-year-old exemption the agency gave to such vessels. Legislation — known as The Clean Boating Act of 2008 —  introduced in both the House and Senate that sought to restore the exemption, was handily passed yesterday "in a remarkable display of bipartisan support for recreational boating," said BoatU.S. in a press release. "This is a fabulous victory for common sense and it just goes to show what can be done when the boating public, the marine industry and its representatives in Congress row together in a bipartisan way," said BoatU.S. President Nancy Michelman.