There are many places like block island that allready pop in and do a dye test on your system and toss you if it fails
Major Rip-off in Alabama
- Thread starter MoonSailer
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Here is California part of the free coast guard safety inspection is an examination of the MSD. If your boat passes inspection, you get a certificate of compliance that is good for one year, meaning you can simply show the certificate to avoid another inspection during that time. There is no charge for this service. You can take your boat by the CG dock.... or simply wait to be randomly boarded. Over the course of the past 10 years I have been boarded twice for an inspection... no penalty for not having a current cert, and a new one was issued at no charge.
In Catalina Island, however, each boat must submit to a test where a dye tablet is dropped into the MSD to check for leaks in the system. Once you pass you're good for quite some time, not sure how long... but it's more than a year. The dye test is administered by the port captain when he comes by to collect your mooring fee. There's no fine, just a refusal to allow mooring your boat but if you've been previously certified no test is administered. As far as I know there is no separate fee for this. It's included in the mooring fee.
In Catalina Island, however, each boat must submit to a test where a dye tablet is dropped into the MSD to check for leaks in the system. Once you pass you're good for quite some time, not sure how long... but it's more than a year. The dye test is administered by the port captain when he comes by to collect your mooring fee. There's no fine, just a refusal to allow mooring your boat but if you've been previously certified no test is administered. As far as I know there is no separate fee for this. It's included in the mooring fee.
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy at its best...
Here's a few excerpts from the Portland, Maine Press herald from just a last spring.
Quote Press Herald: "Every time a steady rain falls on Maine, millions of gallons of untreated sewage and storm water overflow collection pipes and spill into streams and coastal waters. More than half of that pollution pours out of pipes scattered around the city of Portland. Overflows in the city last year totaled about 1.8 BILLION gallons - about 30 million gallons for every inch of rain. Portland was supposed to begin a three-phase, 15-year cleanup plan in 1993. But as of the end of 2006, two years before the original deadline, the city had eliminated just six of 33 targeted overflows, according to the state."
By the way we have had record setting rains for MONTHS now. How many BILLIONS of gallons of poop is that? Just where is the outrage over 1.8 plus BILLION gallons of RAW sewage? Where is the ACTION instead of the LOUD VOICES of these folks telling others how to live. They tell me what light bulbs I should be using in my house and that Casco Bay is now a NDZ yet every citizen in Portland is allowed to dump their poop inot the bay with no fines, or risk of it. Of course I would be fined at the federal level if even an oz of poop gets into the bay from my boat and I get caught..?
Quote Press Herald:"When we have (overflows), we're getting human waste, we're getting storm water and we're getting industrial effluent. It does have an effect on the ecosystem," said Joseph Payne, bay keeper for the nonprofit Friends of Casco Bay" "Why haven't they made progress when 36 other cities have?" said Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds."
That's a very good question coming from a supposedly "environmentally friendly"senator from one of the most environmentally friendly states in the country. Hmmm do they really care about the environment? Apparantly not! Making Casco Bay an NDZ is a total scam and a bunch of feel good politics to help politicians look as if they do something when they really do nothing. The same bay, the above article was referencing, is the one made an NDZ (No Discharge Zone) just last year while our state government decided to look the other way on 1.8 BILLION plus gallons of raw sewage!
When will the feel good attacks on boaters, and other small segment groups stop, and real legislation be accomplished? Maine is also the state where the US Green party was founded. 1.8 BILLION gallons and supposedly "environmentally friendly" Maine has done nothing except to go after a few boaters who already complied with the laws far better than our own state.
The treated waste coming out of the Lectrasan I had was far cleaner than ANY of the 1.8 BILLION gallons allowed to be dumped into Casco Bay by our own GOVERNMENT! With Maine being the second highest taxed state in the country you'd think we would have the funds to fix our sewer systems but as usual there is no real action and only a bunch of empty talk and attacks on the "low hanging fruit" or the "easy targets" to make our elected officials look as if they actually work for a living.
Politicians attack these small segments of the population, like us "evil boaters", because it's easy, and it looks good in campaigns and 30 second sound bites. Making themselves look good is priority #1 and it's usually done at the cost of the environment and furthermore in a class warfare style. After all we boaters are rich and we can all afford to rip our Lectrasan units out, which are cleaner than what the state dumps into the bay.
I try VERY HARD to not dump within three miles., and I agree it's not wise, but we have VERY, VERY few working pump outs in Maine still despite our NDZ designation.
How can I feel bad, or should I, the once a season I actually may have to dump my 6 gallons 2.8 miles off shore on an outgoing tide? 6 gallons vs. 1.8 BILLION I'm sorry it's just hard to feel guilty with the blatant hypocrisy of it.
That being said I have NEVER dumped inside the bay, even well before legislation, and am usually at least a minimum of two+ miles out and always on an outgoing tide if I absolutely have to dump. Just being honest here...
For the last 15 plus years I have been paying dearly for this supposed "clean up" of the Portland raw sewage issue in increased sewer charges but NONE of that money, not one DIME, has been spent on it. We are now facing 50% percent increases in our sewer bills over the next 6 years to "pay" for this.. We've been charged for it since 1993 but now they can't find the money??????!!!!!!
As for the $50.00 it won't do SQUAT. It is simple to close your Y valve and lock it to pass the test. Once you have paid your taxes you can simply put your Y valve back to the "dump overboard" mode and go on your merry way displaying your proud $50.00 sticker that says you are a law abiding boater..
Such junk!
Sorry for the rant..
Hypocrisy at its best...
Here's a few excerpts from the Portland, Maine Press herald from just a last spring.
Quote Press Herald: "Every time a steady rain falls on Maine, millions of gallons of untreated sewage and storm water overflow collection pipes and spill into streams and coastal waters. More than half of that pollution pours out of pipes scattered around the city of Portland. Overflows in the city last year totaled about 1.8 BILLION gallons - about 30 million gallons for every inch of rain. Portland was supposed to begin a three-phase, 15-year cleanup plan in 1993. But as of the end of 2006, two years before the original deadline, the city had eliminated just six of 33 targeted overflows, according to the state."
By the way we have had record setting rains for MONTHS now. How many BILLIONS of gallons of poop is that? Just where is the outrage over 1.8 plus BILLION gallons of RAW sewage? Where is the ACTION instead of the LOUD VOICES of these folks telling others how to live. They tell me what light bulbs I should be using in my house and that Casco Bay is now a NDZ yet every citizen in Portland is allowed to dump their poop inot the bay with no fines, or risk of it. Of course I would be fined at the federal level if even an oz of poop gets into the bay from my boat and I get caught..?
Quote Press Herald:"When we have (overflows), we're getting human waste, we're getting storm water and we're getting industrial effluent. It does have an effect on the ecosystem," said Joseph Payne, bay keeper for the nonprofit Friends of Casco Bay" "Why haven't they made progress when 36 other cities have?" said Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds."
That's a very good question coming from a supposedly "environmentally friendly"senator from one of the most environmentally friendly states in the country. Hmmm do they really care about the environment? Apparantly not! Making Casco Bay an NDZ is a total scam and a bunch of feel good politics to help politicians look as if they do something when they really do nothing. The same bay, the above article was referencing, is the one made an NDZ (No Discharge Zone) just last year while our state government decided to look the other way on 1.8 BILLION plus gallons of raw sewage!
When will the feel good attacks on boaters, and other small segment groups stop, and real legislation be accomplished? Maine is also the state where the US Green party was founded. 1.8 BILLION gallons and supposedly "environmentally friendly" Maine has done nothing except to go after a few boaters who already complied with the laws far better than our own state.
The treated waste coming out of the Lectrasan I had was far cleaner than ANY of the 1.8 BILLION gallons allowed to be dumped into Casco Bay by our own GOVERNMENT! With Maine being the second highest taxed state in the country you'd think we would have the funds to fix our sewer systems but as usual there is no real action and only a bunch of empty talk and attacks on the "low hanging fruit" or the "easy targets" to make our elected officials look as if they actually work for a living.
Politicians attack these small segments of the population, like us "evil boaters", because it's easy, and it looks good in campaigns and 30 second sound bites. Making themselves look good is priority #1 and it's usually done at the cost of the environment and furthermore in a class warfare style. After all we boaters are rich and we can all afford to rip our Lectrasan units out, which are cleaner than what the state dumps into the bay.
I try VERY HARD to not dump within three miles., and I agree it's not wise, but we have VERY, VERY few working pump outs in Maine still despite our NDZ designation.
How can I feel bad, or should I, the once a season I actually may have to dump my 6 gallons 2.8 miles off shore on an outgoing tide? 6 gallons vs. 1.8 BILLION I'm sorry it's just hard to feel guilty with the blatant hypocrisy of it.
That being said I have NEVER dumped inside the bay, even well before legislation, and am usually at least a minimum of two+ miles out and always on an outgoing tide if I absolutely have to dump. Just being honest here...
For the last 15 plus years I have been paying dearly for this supposed "clean up" of the Portland raw sewage issue in increased sewer charges but NONE of that money, not one DIME, has been spent on it. We are now facing 50% percent increases in our sewer bills over the next 6 years to "pay" for this.. We've been charged for it since 1993 but now they can't find the money??????!!!!!!
As for the $50.00 it won't do SQUAT. It is simple to close your Y valve and lock it to pass the test. Once you have paid your taxes you can simply put your Y valve back to the "dump overboard" mode and go on your merry way displaying your proud $50.00 sticker that says you are a law abiding boater..
Such junk!
Sorry for the rant..
Again I am all for clean water. It is just having to pay $50 a year for essentially nothing of value to me or the environment. Charging $50/year and then having access to free pump outs would be of value to the environment. As to boaters impact on water quality that is probably a local issue and only rarely a problem compared to land. Urban runnoff is a major problem that has rarely been addressed as it cost money out of the pocket of everyone. Just look at all the dog crap and auto oil running down the the street after a big rain...it all ends up in local streams . Look at Wheeler lake. It is on the Tennessee river. Where I am at it has already ran through the Tri Cities in East Tennessee about a million people. Then through Knoxville TN add another 1.5 million , then it goes through Chattanooga TN almost as large as Knoxville. Then through Huntsville ALabama and that is just major cities!!!! So about 5,000,000,000 people use the TN river as a toilet. There are maybe 1000 boats with toilets on Wheeler lake. Who do you think contributes the most to water pollution. We want even talk about the millions of chickens,pigs and cows that are raised near the river. Maybe mention the dogs??? Boaters should not be blammed for water pollution. BUT we should do our part and I have never never ever dumped my poop overboard...I have peed a few times. This was usually while swimming. http://www.adem.state.al.us/Educati...nagePlan/BasinPlans/Tennessee/TenSection2.pdf Here is a report on water pollution in the Tennessee river. BOATS are not even mentioned as a source. Most of the water pollution seems to be from septic tanks and agricultural runnoff. They worry about boaters poop but do nothing about cows ,pigs, septic tanks and chicken coops. Go figure!!!!
Moonsailer,
Where did you find the info that the $50.00 fee had been instated? The only mention of the fee i could find on my search of the web was in the code of Alabama section 33-6A-6 where it states that,
"The department may, at the end of five years from October 1, 2003, establish by regulation, a reasonable fee not to exceed fifty dollars ($50) for the conduct of any mandatory annual inspections pertaining to this chapter, which fees shall be credited to the State Water Safety Fund."
"may" being the operative word. Have they established this fee and where would I go to read about it?
Where did you find the info that the $50.00 fee had been instated? The only mention of the fee i could find on my search of the web was in the code of Alabama section 33-6A-6 where it states that,
"The department may, at the end of five years from October 1, 2003, establish by regulation, a reasonable fee not to exceed fifty dollars ($50) for the conduct of any mandatory annual inspections pertaining to this chapter, which fees shall be credited to the State Water Safety Fund."
"may" being the operative word. Have they established this fee and where would I go to read about it?
Don't worry...you can't win anyway...a few years ago our harbor got a shiny pump out boat with state funds from boating fees. From what I recall the harbor patrol promptly got in an accident and sank it. They got a new one last year though.
I took a doctoral level couse in environmental physical chemistry...the course taught us that the largest source of pollution is all the crap that washes uncontrolled down storm drains. If they want to reduce pollution then they will include an oil leak inspection as a part of objectionable "emissions."
I took a doctoral level couse in environmental physical chemistry...the course taught us that the largest source of pollution is all the crap that washes uncontrolled down storm drains. If they want to reduce pollution then they will include an oil leak inspection as a part of objectionable "emissions."
They are saying at the yacht club and marina that we must have a new inspection sticker. The game wardens will no longer do inspections and the only guy who will wants $50. I saw where the Mobile Yacht club will do inspections for $20 for members. The money is not very important it is the principle of wasting money that could be used for usefull purposes. It is stupid to inspect yearly when most boater never change their plumbing once it is approved. It does little or no good for water quality and is an aggravation and burden. Boat ownership should be fun not an endless list of expenses.
Hell, I would just document the boat to another hailing port out of state. If it isn't an Alabama based boat, how can they enforce this.....they can't. It is just like state inspection laws for motor vehicles. If your car is driving through Virginia and it is registered in Maryland then you don't need to have a car inspection. States can only enforce laws on their stuff.
It is stupid and it is a PITA. Law makers have nothing better to do than bother recreational boaters?
It is stupid and it is a PITA. Law makers have nothing better to do than bother recreational boaters?
This is a test for everybody:
Can you name your state representative?
Do you know the name(s) of your county counsel members?
Have you ever written to him/her about your concerns?
Did you vote in the last local election?
Did you vote in the last local primary?
Do you read the campaign literature that the candidates provide?
Our voices are listened to and they do influence the decisions that are made.
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