Obama Signs Extension of Vessel Permit Moratorium

摘要

President Obama July 30 signed legislation (S. 3372) that would extend to Dec. 18, 2013, a moratorium that exempts 140,000 commercial fishing boats and smaller commercial vessels from clean water permitting requirements. The signing came after the House of Representatives passed the bill July 29. The Senate had passed it July 14. The House approval followed an initial vote by the House July 20 on its own version (H.R. 5301) of the same bill. The current two-year moratorium for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits for these vessels was set to expire July 31. The moratorium applies to certain discharges "incidental to the normal operation" of vessels, including deck runoff (41 ER 1651, 7/23/10).