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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                  CONTACT: Matt House

February 2, 2012                                                                                                        (202) 224-7433

 

SCHUMER CALLS ON U.S. COAST GUARD & law enforcement to meet with hudson valley boaters to HELP launch OFFICIAL INSPECTION STICKER PROGRAM – PLAN COULD HELP PREVENT REPEATED & UNNECESSARY BOATER STOPPAGES on hudson river

In An Effort To Better Coordinate Redundant Boat Stoppages on Hudson River, Schumer Urges Coast Guard to Meet with Boaters, State & Local Agencies to Speed Development of Widely-Recognized Boat Inspection Sticker

 

As Spring Boating Season Approaches, Schumer’s Effort to Eliminate Repeated Boat Stoppages Would Minimize Hassle for Boaters, Free Up Law Enforcement For Higher-Priority Threats

Schumer: We Need To Turn An Efficient Boat Inspection Plan Into Action

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer asked the U.S. Coast Guard to meet with the Marine Trades Association of New York, Boating Safety Advocates, and local law enforcement to discuss the implementation of an official inspection sticker system that would better coordinate boater patrols on the Hudson, so that boaters are not repeatedly stopped. Schumer believes that this meeting will allow the Coast Guard to work hand-in-glove with law enforcement agencies and put into place the best protocol for ensuring the safety of boaters and our critical infrastructure, while allowing for recreational enjoyment of the Hudson River for both residents and tourists.

 

Creating a sticker-system that is recognized by all levels of law enforcement has the support of the boating community, and several Hudson Valley law enforcement agencies have expressed an openness to participating in the system. Schumer wants this meeting to happen ahead of the spring boating season, and marks his most recent step in a series of efforts to coordinate all levels of inspection and enforcement of boats on the Hudson River. Schumer noted that not only will the use of a widely recognized inspection sticker minimize the hassle for boaters, but would free up law enforcement officials, and allow their positive influence to be spread more widely throughout the community.

“With spring boating season fast approaching, it is time to jump start an official boat inspection sticker program, which will help prevent repeated boat stoppages on the Hudson River, which are as annoying as they are inefficient,” said Schumer. “I am urging the Coast Guard to take the lead on this important initiative by coordinating a meeting with state and local authorities, as well as boater trade and advocacy groups, so that this coordinated inspection program can get off the ground. Rather than screen one boat six times, we need to develop a program to screen six boats one time. By streamlining our inspection process and providing widely recognized inspection stickers, we can provide a better experience for recreational boaters and free up security resources to protect nuclear power plants and bridges, and ensure that the river is safe. As Hudson Valley residents begin undocking their boats for the spring season, now would be the perfect time to implement this inspection program and to reach the maximum number of boats before they head onto the river.”

 

“I look forward to directly discussing with the US Coast Guard ways to implement a yearly safety inspection program so we can assure both safe recreational boating, as well as assure a continued positive boating experience for recreational and family boaters like myself,” Lex Filipowski, founder of Freedom To Go Boating.“This will solve the problem of being stopped without probable cause for safety checks while boating since we are often stopped 1,2,3,4 and even 5 times in a single day throughout the boating season for safety checks presently.  Implementation of a yearly safety check program will not only create a better experience for boaters but it can also result in significant savings for law enforcement costs in both time and money

 

Senator Schumer is urging the Coast Guard to meet with all relevant levels of law enforcement, the Marine Trade Association of New York and Boating Safety Advocates this month, so that the stakeholders and enforcement officials can develop a plan for the implementation of a widely recognized boat inspection sticker for boats on the Hudson River. Schumer noted that this meeting is particularly timely, because once this coordination is established the Coast Guard would be able to inspect and dispense stickers to the maximum number of boaters as they undock in anticipation of the spring boating season.

 

The Coast Guard Auxillary unit currently offers annual inspections that determine basic safety of boats. If a boat is deemed safe to use, based on the security of the hull, sufficient number of life vests, and other inspection points, the boat receives a sticker for that year in the same way that an annual car that has been inspected receives their sticker. However, not all of the nearly two dozen agencies with jurisdiction over the Hudson choose to recognize that sticker as evidence that the boat is safe. By having law enforcement, the Coast Guard Auxillary and Marina Owners working together we can create more educated, and thus safer boaters as well as identify any safety issues or concerns with the boat before they are in the open water – allowing all parties to work towards a safe solution before any real problems occur. If entities with authority over the Hudson River including state agencies and local sheriffs’ departments recognized the stickers, it could significantly reduce the number of unnecessary stoppages. Law enforcement would, of course still be permitted to stop boats without inspection stickers or those boats with stickers who were behaving dangerously, but the stickers could serve as a signal that a boat was structurally safe.

Schumer’s push for a meeting involving stakeholder and law enforcement marks a major step in his push for better coordination between all levels of law enforcement in order to boost security and let boaters enjoy their recreation. Last summer, Schumer sent a personal letter to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert J. Papp after a series of media reports documented concerns over coordination between federal agencies, which had resulted in recreational boaters being stopped multiple times by different agencies on the same day. According to the New York Times, approximately two dozen agencies have jurisdictional responsibility over boating on the Hudson River, including local sheriffs’ departments, state agencies, and the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard already uses a PDA system that links up various patrolling boats so that officers know which boats have been screened and cleared, and those that have not. However, state and local agencies do not have a system by which they can keep easy tabs on which boats have been screened, and there appears to be insufficient information sharing between all three levels of local law enforcement. The annual inspection sticker system could potentially fill that void. Schumer noted that not only will the use of a widely recognized inspection sticker minimize hassle for boaters, but would free up law enforcement officials, and allow their positive influence to be spread more widely throughout the community. Schumer’s call also follows July 2011’s deadly boating accident on the Hudson in which four people were killed.

 

Since this issue came to light, Schumer has pressed the Coast Guard, the primary enforcement agency for boaters in the Hudson River, to take a lead role in improving coordination between patrolling agencies. He continued, “This meeting of the minds would move the ball forward in developing a sticker inspection process that emphasizes efficiency and safety – a plan that I believe everyone agree is best for crime prevention, tourism and recreation.”

 

A copy of Senator Schumer’s letter appears below:

Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr.

Commandant

US Coast Guard

2100 2^nd Street, SW

Washington, DC 20024

 

Dear Commandant Papp:

 

I write to request a meeting between the Coast Guard, Marine Trades Association of New York, Boating Safety Advocates and Law Enforcement Agencies from throughout the Hudson Valley.

 

This past summer, I brought to your attention a matter of patrolling issues on the Hudson River, specificallythe jurisdiction of multiple law enforcement agencies on the river and their interactions with recreational boaters. As you know, I asked about the possibility of increasing the use of these inspections and their subsequent stickers to increase safety and decrease the need for basic safety stops while on the water.

 

From my meetings with local stakeholders and family boaters, it has come to my attention that the local coast guard auxiliary offers safety inspections for boaters and issues stickers when these inspections are complete. By inspecting boats before they are on the water, it allows the owner to rectify any issues that may arise as well as ensure their boat is brought to proper safety standards. Similarly, this will allow our law enforcement agencies to focus on more serious threats on the river whether it be unsafe operators, protecting our vulnerable infrastructure and assessing any threats on the Hudson River.

 

As family boaters, merchants, and law enforcement agencies get ready for the upcoming Spring boating season, I ask that the Coast Guard meet with the Marine Trades Association of New York, Boating Safety Advocates, and local law enforcement to discuss the implementation of an official inspection and issuance of a sticker upon completion of the safety inspection. By preemptively working with boaters, merchants, and law enforcement agencies, the Coast Guard can put into place the best protocol and procedures for ensuring the safety of boaters and our critical infrastructure while allowing for recreational enjoyment of the Hudson River for both residents and tourists.

 

As you know, the Hudson River is an important tourist and recreational destination for all New Yorkers, and I look forward to working with you as we continue to protect our waters while ensuring boaters have the access to safely enjoy the majestic Hudson River.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, DC office at 202-224-6542 should you have questions or need additional information.

 

Sincerely,

 

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

Schumer criticizes new EPA fee

 

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VHS (Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia) and the Hudson River

How the new Fish Health Regulations affect angling on the Hudson River

Gregory Kozlowski

NYSDEC Fisheries Outreach Coordinator

Emergency regulations impacting fish movement and the use of baitfish have been implemented in New York in response to an emerging disease threat, viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). Historically, VHS caused widespread fish mortalities in European aquaculture facilities and localized fish mortalities in Pacific Herring along the North American West Coast. In recognition of its potential for profound socio-economic consequences, VHS is one of nine reportable diseases to the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE). VHS became a concern in New York due to outbreaks in the Great Lakes. The earliest confirmed VHS report in the Great Lakes was a frozen Lake St. Clair muskellunge taken in 2003 that had been retested after VHS was first documented in the Great Lakes during 2005. VHS has caused fish mortalities in Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair, and in New York waters including Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and Conesus Lake. Popular angling fish species involved in the fish mortalities were muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, bluegill and pumpkinseed. The Animal Health Inspection Service (APHIS) lists 37 species of fish across 13 families that are susceptible to VHS, including all herring species and several popular baitfish species. It is unusual for a fish disease to affect so many fish species across such a variety of families. The greatest risk pathway for the spread of VHS was identified as fish movement, including stocking and the use of baitfish. Given this information, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) had to respond to the VHS threat.

Emergency Regulations: Take 1

With the growing evidence of the threat VHS posed to the fisheries resources in New York, the DEC filed emergency fishing regulations on November 21, 2006. Those regulations strictly controlled the movement of fish. The significant impact to Hudson River anglers was that the emergency regulations did not allow the use of herring caught in the Hudson River’s tributaries to be used in the main stem of the Hudson. Additionally, the regulations required that all commercially sold bait fish had to be certified as "disease free" of six fish diseases, including herring. At the same time the emergency regulations were filed, the same regulations were proposed as part of a normal rule making that involved a comment period. Anglers commented that the herring in the tributaries were the same herring that were in the main stem of the Hudson and therefore posed no threat if used as bait in the Hudson River. Commercial bait dealers commented that they could not hold herring long enough to get the disease testing (takes 3 to 5 weeks) and that the striper run would be over by the time the herring were certified as disease free.

Emergency Regulations: Take 2

The DEC reviewed the comments submitted in response to the proposed fish health regulations and filed revised emergency regulations effective March 9, 2007. The revised emergency regulations were a compromise between issues raised during the comment period and the disease risk of moving fish from one body of water to another. The following revised emergency fish health regulations impact the Hudson River:

Personally harvested bait fish, live or dead, can only be used on the same water body from which they were caught;

Commercially harvested bait fish, live or dead, can only be possessed, sold, and offered for sale on the same body of water from which it was caught unless first certified as disease free;

The Hudson River downstream from the Federal Dam at Troy to the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan Island and all tributaries to the first barrier impassable by fish is considered one water body. Locks and dams are considered impassable barriers;

All bait fish, live or dead, that are not certified as disease free cannot be transported overland by a motorized vehicle;

Fish taken for consumption may be transported overland but may not be brought back to the water and used as bait;

Bait fish collected in the Marine District may be used as bait in the Hudson provided that the fish were not transported overland;

Bait fish that is certified disease free may be transported overland and used as bait provided that the angler has a copy of the sale receipt that states the baitfish are certified disease free and has the name of the vendor, date sold, species of fish sold, and quantity of fish sold. A receipt is valid for seven days from the date of sale.

* Please note that not all details of the revised emergency regulations are listed here. For a complete list of the emergency regulations, please visit www.dec.ny.gov.

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What do these regulations mean for Hudson River anglers?

The "message" that the revised emergency regulations sends is that there can be serious negative impacts of moving fish from one body of water to another. That is why the DEC is restricting the use of uncertified baitfish to the water from which they were caught. The good news for Hudson River anglers is that herring caught in the tributaries of the Hudson will be able to be used as bait in the main stem of the Hudson. However, you cannot put herring, live or frozen, in your car to transport them overland from Hudson River tributaries or bait stores to the Hudson. This will change the way anglers buy and collect bait fish. Since you cannot put your baitfish in your car, you will have to purchase your baitfish on the water or within walking distance of the water. If you collect your own herring, you will have to collect them either within walking distance or boating distance from where you plan to fish. You will still be able to bring herring home for pickling, but you will not be able to bring them back to the water as baitfish once they are transported away from the Hudson.

Why can’t uncertified baitfish be transported overland by car? Enforcement! If uncertified baitfish were allowed to be transported in a car, then the regulations would be unenforceable. After all, bait fish don’t come with the label "raised in the Hudson River," so it would be impossible to tell where the baitfish came from. More importantly, people would be tempted to bring baitfish from one body of water to another. That is the risk the regulations avoid by not allowing uncertified baitfish to be placed in a car. The regulations allow a person to collect baitfish and use them on the same body of water. If you "need" to transport baitfish overland, then buy certified disease free bait fish and keep your receipt. The choice is yours.

Revised for now

The changes made in the revised emergency regulations were different enough that they warranted a second public comment period. Therefore, the DEC proposed a new set of regulations that are the same as the revised emergency regulations. Comments will be taken through April 27, 2007. For more information on VHS and how to submit public comments, please visit www.dec.ny.gov and type VHS in the search engine.

Click Here to Download the article*

*It is a Microsoft Word document (.doc)

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Dredged Material in Abandon Mine Reclamation

The Bark Camp Demonstration Project - October 2006

New York/New Jersey Clean Ocean & Shore Trust

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

"In 1995 the New York/New Jersey Clean Ocean and Shore Trust, the bistate marine resources commission known as COAST, approached the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), Bureau of Abandon Mine Reclamation with a proposal to test dredged materials from the Hudson and Raritan estuaries and the Delaware River for use in abandoned mine reclamation.  Facing the legacy of 300 years of coal mining, PADEP has been a national leader in mine reclamation research and applications, and saw the potential for using dredged sediments as an aggregate in a coal ash amended grout.  After a careful analysis, the department determined that in spite of the negative public perception of dredged materials, the levels of contaminants involved were not excessive and were well within their regulatory experience.  Furthermore, the contaminant binding capacity and low permeability of coal ash grouts were perfectly suited to immobilize any contaminants present.  In order to ensure that only acceptable materials were used, the Bureau of Land Recycling and Waste Management applied regulatory limits for contaminant levels from existing programs and forbade the use of any hazardous materials whatsoever."

                  

Click Here to Download the full Final Report*

*The file is large and may take a few minutes to download depending upon your connection.  The file is a .pdf, to view it you must have Adobe Reader.  If you do not have Adobe Reader, click here.

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© 2006-2011 Hudson Valley Marine Trades Association

PO Box 272, Stony Point, NY 10980