SURFRIDER FOUNDATION Paddle Out and Protest - Jan 27

[Sprocket]

SURFRIDER FOUNDATION Paddle Out and Protest

Saturday - January 27th





FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS WHO WANT TO JOIN US to denounce the dumping of partially treated sewage just 3 miles off the coast and support the Clean Oceans Bill filed in the Florida Legislature by Rep. Allen and Sen. Bennett. There will be 3 options for getting involved: kayak, boat, or rally @ the port. For more info, go to www.Surfrider.org/sebastinainlet or call Ericka Davanzo, Florida Regional Manager @ 516-643-2514.



* Paddlers/Port Rally: Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Ocean Mall in West Palm Beach (get directions from Mapquest.com)
* Drop off paddlers at WPB north jetty by 10:00 a.m. (depending on waves)
* Boaters/Kayakers: If you have room on your boat please pull up to the Riviera Beach Municipal Marina fuel dock @ the Marina at 10:15am to pick up passengers & banners. Call if you need to know where the boat launch is.
* Rally at Port: Drive from Ocean Mall to port with banners at 10:05 a.m.
* Other volunteers: board the Water Taxi at the fuel dock @ 10:20am.
* Banner towed by plane arrives at 10:10 a.m.
* Cruise leaves at 10:30 a.m., passes jetty at ~10:40 a.m.
* Press Conference: Return to Riviera Beach Municipal Marina at the north end of the Tiki Bar for press conference at 11:00 a.m.

[Sprocket]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Ericka D’Avanzo
Surfrider Foundation
772-225-3780
edavanzo@surfrider.org

GAMING SHIPS: GAMBLING WITH
FLORIDA’S COASTLINE & OUR HEALTH


(January 23, 2007), Port of Palm Beach, FL: We swim in it. Fish in it. Surf, ski, kayak, and dive right into it. And, it’s dumped only 3 miles from the Florida coastline … raw sewage.

Gambling boats or “day boats”, dump about 1,352,000 gallons annually of blackwater (what you flush) and 2,766,400 per year of graywater (from showers) (per NOAA report estimated weekly average). There are no inspections or tests of the sewage being dumped. There are no laws regulating sewage being dumped past 3 miles from the coast.
Presently, gambling boats pickup our residents and tourists, make their money, and discharge their waste in the ocean off our shoreline. Currently daily-gambling boats have the capacity to hold their waste water but lack the incentive to hold and pump out at shore facilities. This increases the pollution of our water and shores all across the state.
The Florida Legislature will be in session soon to discuss numerous important bills. The Clean Ocean Act (House Bill 57/ Senate Bill 444) will require day boats to hold and release their black and grey water at port facilities and set standard fines for releasing waste. The bill provides for emergency situations to be able to release matter with a requirement to notify authorities for documentation purposes. It allows Port Authorities the flexibility to implement collection of said waste and dispose at port for a fee equal to the cost of waste removal.

“Rep. Bob Allen and Senator Mike Bennett have done a thorough job researching the topic of gaming ship pollution and have consulted maritime attorneys on the legalities of the bill. They have tremendous public support this year to get this bill passed in the legislature” commented Greg Gordon, Surfrider Chapter Chair.

People who enjoy the ocean and Florida’s coastline are taking action this weekend. To help get this bill passed, the Surfrider Foundation Chapters of Florida are urging concerned water users to come out Saturday January 27th at 10:00am for a paddle out and demonstration at the Palm Beach Inlet.
For more information on this event and background on the problem of gambling boat and cruise ship dumping visit: http://www.surfrider.org/sebastianinlet. For more information on the bill, contact Rep. Allen's Office (321) 449-5111 or Bob.Allen@myfloridahouse.gov.