According to a posting on the BoatUS Web site, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will require all boats in the country to get an "operational discharge" permit by the end of September.
However, legislation is pending in Congress that would restore the exemption for recreational boats.
Opponents say the intent was for the regulation to apply only to commercial vessels, but a federal judge ruled that it should include all boats.
Because of a lawsuit targeting ocean-going commercial vessels carrying ballast water, the EPA is required to implement an "operational discharge permit" for all vessels in the United States
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/3/208408