A Message from the Town of Oyster Bay
A Message from our
United States Senator
Charles E. Schumer Regarding the Clean Boating Act
of 2008
Thank you for your letter in support of S. 2766, the Clean Boating Act of 2008. I was an ardent supporter of this bill, and I am happy to report that it has passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives and is now law.
Boating has the potential to introduce pollutants and invasive species into lakes and rivers. To protect the health of our nation’s waterways, Congress has enacted several national water-quality laws. Among these, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act – commonly known as the Clean Water Act – directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restrict water pollution from ships and boats by requiring them to obtain permits. For 34 years, the EPA exempted recreational boats from this requirement on the grounds that they do not pose a significant danger to water quality. In 2006, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down this regulation. As a result, recreational boaters will have to comply with the same Clean Water Act regulations as ocean-going commercial ships beginning in 2008.
The Clean Boating Act of 2008 simply clarifies the scope of the Clean Water Act’s restrictions on boating specifically to exempt recreational vessels. If passed, this law will protect recreational boaters from having to obtain permits. I am sponsoring this important legislation to protect New York’s boating community, and I am dedicated to seeing this bill pass this year.
Thank you for contacting me about this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if I can ever be of assistance to you on this or any other issue.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
Contact: Bill Mott, Director
(401) 709-4071 or bmott@theoceanproject.org
The Ocean Project and its hundreds of Partners planning events around the world for
World Ocean Day on June 8th
(Providence, RI) - On June 8th hundreds of communities around the globe will celebrate the 16th annual World Ocean Day – an opportunity to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea, and to raise awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in our lives and the important ways people can help to protect it.
The Ocean Project – with 750 Partner aquariums, zoos, science museums and other educational organizations in all 50 states and 70 countries – is the largest network ever formed to focus on conservation of the ocean. The Ocean Project, working closely with the World Ocean Network each year, helps to coordinate events and activities to celebrate World Ocean Day with our Partners and other organizations around the globe. Together we are also working to have the United Nations officially designate World Ocean Day as June 8th each year.
This year’s theme: In order to better make the connection between climate change and ocean health, this year we are encouraging Partners to promote the theme "helping our climate -helping our ocean" with a special focus on coral reefs to take advantage of International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 2008.
Climate change and the ocean: The ocean and climate are inextricably linked – the ocean plays a crucial role in maintaining the Earth’s climate and ocean life is vulnerable to climate change. As human activities produce too much carbon dioxide, it is absorbed by the ocean and, as a result, ocean waters are becoming warmer and more acidic, threatening the fundamental building blocks of life in the ocean. The ocean is also rising as a result of climate change.
Impact on marine life: Coral reefs - important food, medicinal, economic, aesthetic and cultural resources - are particularly vulnerable to these changes. Scientists are recording record coral reef die-offs and are worried about the future survival of these treasured ecosystems. Other ocean life and ecosystems are also at risk - salmon populations are disappearing from their historical ranges, invasive species and diseases are spreading into new waters, and marine mammals continue to face decreased food supplies as a result of climate change. Coastal communities are also threatened as sea level rises.
| It's official! UN declares June 8th as World Oceans Day!
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Exciting news! I wanted to let you know that the United Nations has declared June 8th as World Oceans Day.
Congratulations to all! Making this happen was truly a worldwide effort!
The concept of a "World Ocean Day" was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The Ocean Project has been working closely with the World Ocean Network for the last six years to promote and coordinate World Ocean Day events and activities with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations and agencies, universities, schools, and businesses. Each year an increasing number of countries and organizations have been marking June 8th as opportunity to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea.
With the World Ocean Network, we also developed and widely circulated a petition to the United Nations urging them to officially recognize World Ocean Day. With help from our Partner organizations, tens of thousands of people from all parts of the world signed online or paper copies of the petition. Your participation in all of this made a real difference.
While official U.N. designation is not going to change things overnight it is an important step in improving the health of our world's ocean. Now we need to capitalize on this fresh momentum! I hope you will be involved in planning or participating in a World Oceans Day celebration near you in June.
Please visit the World Oceans Day website to list your event, get celebration ideas, access the media and outreach kit, and more.
Cheers!
Bill
Bill Mott, Director
The Ocean Project
+1 401.709.4071
www.TheOceanProject.org
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