On the recordJuly 29, 2010
I rise in strong support of S. 3372, a bill that extends a provision prohibiting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and States from requiring permits under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act for certain discharges that are incidental to the normal operation of commercial vessels less than 79 feet in length and all fishing vessels. This legislation extends a narrowly tailored provision enacted by Congress in 2008 to establish a moratorium on permit requirements under the Clean Water Act for certain discharges from fishing vessels and those commercial vessels less than 79 feet in length. This legislation ensures that EPA has sufficient time to consider the implications of discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel, while preserving the goals of the Clean Water Act to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters.
