The Clean Vessel Act

A&B Marina Pumpout

The primary goal of the Clean Vessel Act (CVA) is to reduce overboard sewage discharge from boats by providing pumpout and dump stations for boaters to dispose of human waste in an environmentally safe manner. The CVA provides funds to states for the construction, renovation, operation and maintenance of pumpout and dump stations for pumping out waste from recreational boat holding tanks and emptying portable toilets.

In 1992 Congress passed the CVA to help reduce pollution from vessel sewage discharges. Researchers determined that due to an inadequate number of sewage disposal facilities for boaters, sewage was being discharged into public waters resulting in water degradation. The CVA established a five-year federal grant program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and authorized $40 million from the Sport Fish Restoration Account of the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund for use by the States. These federal funds can be used to account for up to 75 percent of all approved projects with the remaining funds supplemented by state or local government, private businesses or associations.

In 1998, Congress appropriated $50 million to continue the pumpout grant program. The funding support was to expand the program to more areas throughout the United States and to make pumpouts more accessible to the public. Greater accessibility to pumpout and dump stations translates to less pollution in our waters. Pumpout funding continues to be awarded yearly to states through the Clean Vessel Act.