Begich, Rubio Team Up to Fight EPA Regulations

Press Release

Cutting through red tape created by a confusing jumble of state and federal regulations, U.S. Senators Mark Begich (D-AK) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) today introduced a bipartisan bill to set uniform standards for regulating ballast water and other incidental discharges from vessels, and clarify requirements for fishermen and other small boat users.

Begich is the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast Guard and Rubio serves as the ranking member. The bill, The Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, has broad bipartisan support with 20 Democrat and Republican co-sponsors, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski. It is widely supported by the maritime industry.

"I introduced this legislation with Senator Rubio so shippers and other vessel owners that visit multiple ports don't have to deal with the unreasonable patchwork of EPA rules telling them how to manage ballast water and other discharges," Begich said. "It sets a national standard for ballast water and other discharges and significantly tightens these rules over time. It gives a permanent exemption for fishermen and other small boat owners who are not considered part of the problem. This bill has broad bipartisan support and the backing of the maritime industry and Alaska fishermen."

"By creating a national standard for our shipping vessels, we will provide regulatory certainty for American businesses engaged in interstate commerce, with appropriate environmental safeguards," said Rubio. "We have also included a provision that will ensure small businesses and individuals are not unduly burdened by a federal regulatory regime. The strong bipartisan support shows how important this issue is for businesses all across the country. I look forward to continuing to work with Chairman Begich to get this legislation across the finish line so the industries and workers impacted by this can move forward with the regulatory certainty they need."

Vessel discharge is most often rainwater and other runoff that accumulates on deck.

The Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency currently regulate ballast water under separate, sometimes inconsistent federal statutes and implementing regulations. EPA regulation under the Clean Water Act also opened the door for the States to establish their own varying standards and requirements for incidental vessel discharges. This complicated, inefficient, and confusing patchwork of federal and state requirements is a burden on shippers and other vessel owners that visit multiple ports. Begich and Rubio introduced this bill so one uniform set of environmentally sound standards is put in place.

Co-sponsors of the bill are Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR), Bob Casey (D-PA), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Ed Markey (D-MA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), John Thune (R-SD), Pat Toomey (R-PA), David Vitter (R-LA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Roger Wicker (R-MI).

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