The Seattle Times’ recent editorial “No sewage discharge marine zones is good policy” [Opinion, Feb. 28] misses the point.

There is no science that demonstrates how this very minimal amount of treated discharge would have any appreciable impact on the environment. What this ban would do is create yet another unnecessary, costly and hard-to-enforce regulation on boaters.

The Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA), which represents 700 marine businesses in the Northwest, along with Recreational Boating Association of Washington (RBAW), Waterways Coalition and others are all strongly opposing this measure.

The commercial operators are opposed as well. It has been estimated that it would cost $125,000 to retrofit a tugboat to meet this requirement. The recreational boating business is a $4 billion industry in this state, employing thousands of people and creating millions in sales and excise tax revenue.

This unreasonable proposed ban would do nothing but hurt this industry while producing no or little tangible benefit to the environment.

Bill Youngsman, Shoreline