A pair of GOP senators is pushing legislation to delay looming Environmental Protection Agency regulations requiring certain commercial fisherman to carry special permits to hose down their decks.
Small fishing vessels are exempt from needing those special permits under the EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Program now, but only through Dec. 18.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced legislation Wednesday to extend that moratorium another year, giving Congress more time to pass the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act and set uniform standards for incidental discharges.
Ballast water, bilge water and grey water are all considered incidental discharges for which a permit is required under the Clean Water Act.
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