Bill Text: CT SB00273 | 2010 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Discharge Of Certain Vessel Pressure Washing Wastewaters.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-02 - Public Hearing 03/08 [SB00273 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2010-SB00273-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 273
February Session, 2010		LCO No. 1302
		*01302_______ENV*
Referred to Committee on Environment
Introduced by:
(ENV)

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DISCHARGE OF CERTAIN VESSEL PRESSURE WASHING WASTEWATERS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2010) (a) The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall keep in effect or issue, as applicable, a stormwater discharge permit pursuant to section 22a-430 for any marina, yacht club, boatyard, boat repair and maintenance facility or other facility that allows the pressure washing of the bottom of any recreational vessel without requiring such marina, yacht club, boatyard, boat repair and maintenance facility or other facility to design, construct, install, operate or maintain any measures for the containment, collection, treatment, storage, discharge or hauling of vessel pressure washing wastewaters, provided: (1) The wastewaters of such marina, yacht club, boatyard, boat repair and maintenance facility or other facility do not create a source of pollution to the waters of the state and do not contain copper compounds; (2) such marina, yacht club, boatyard, boat repair and maintenance facility or other facility agrees to an initial testing of such wastewaters by an independent laboratory, as designated by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, to assure compliance with the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection; (3) such marina, yacht club, boatyard, boat repair and maintenance facility or other facility assumes the responsibility for the cost of any testing conducted pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection; (4) subsequent to the initial testing described in subdivision (2) of this subsection, such marina, yacht club, boatyard, boat repair and maintenance facility or other facility complies with any testing, as required by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, to maintain such stormwater discharge permit; (5) in the event that the results of any single test conducted pursuant to subdivision (4) of this section do not meet the requirements of subdivision (1) of this subsection, such marina, yacht club, boatyard, boat repair and maintenance facility or other facility agrees to undertake any steps required by the commissioner to meet the requirements of subdivision (1) of this subsection; and (6) the repeated failure to meet the requirements of subdivision (1) of this subsection may result in the issuance of an order by the commissioner, pursuant to section 22a-432 of the general statutes, to correct the potential source of pollution. For the purposes of this section, "vessel" has the same meaning as in section 15-127 of the general statutes and "recreational vessel" means any vessel that is (A) manufactured or used primarily for pleasure; or (B) leased, rented or chartered to a person for the pleasure of that person but "recreational vessel" does not include a vessel that is (i) subject to Coast Guard inspection, and (ii) (I) engaged in commercial use, or (II) carries paying passengers.

(b) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section shall be construed to prohibit individual boat owners from washing the bottom of any recreational vessel owned by such boat owner, provided the bottom of such vessel is coated in a nontoxic paint that does not contain biocide compounds.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any provision of any consent order regarding vessel pressure washing wastewater between the Department of Environmental Protection and any owner or operator of a marina, yacht club, boatyard, boat repair and maintenance facility or other facility.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any certification issued under Connecticut's Clean Marina Program, as administered by the Department of Environmental Protection.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	July 1, 2010	New section

Statement of Purpose:

To allow marinas to engage in the pressure washing of vessel bottoms if the wastewater does not contain biocide compounds.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]