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Department of Ecology News Release - June 29, 2007
07-179
OLYMPIA - The July 4 Independence Day holiday is typically a busy time for boaters and marinas across the state, and this year many marinas are promoting higher standards to help keep Washington waters clean.
More marina operators are expecting boat owners to help protect the environment around the marinas.
Fuel spills, boat maintenance and repairs, disposal of hazardous materials, bilge care, and managing sewage and food waste are among the potential environmental hazards from boaters.
"Most of our live-a-boards do the right thing because they want to protect our waters," said Tom Bayley, President of Stimson Marina on the Salmon Bay Waterway inside the Seattle Locks. "We provide the facilities so boat owners can dispose of oil and other hazardous materials properly, and we make sure they know those facilities are available."
Bayley said his marina encourages boat owners to use oil absorbents in their bilge and to refrain from pumping contaminated water overboard and use approved shore-side facilities. The marina also requires the use of sewage pump outs, porta-potti dump stations or mobile pump-out services.
Stimson Marina has joined the ranks of the Clean Marina Washington Program and is also a King County EnviroStar-certified marina with the highest, five-star rating for preventing pollution and reducing hazardous waste. The ratings include how well a marina adheres to rules and regulations required by state Department of Ecology (Ecology), U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Clean Water Act.
Chip Boothe, who manages Ecology's spill prevention section, said: "All oil and hazardous-waste spills are toxic and harmful to the environment. The cumulative effects of even minor spills can be extremely harmful to the state's fresh and marine water environments."
In amounts as little as 1 part per million, used motor oil can be a pollutant. Just one quart of used motor oil is enough to foul 250,000 gallons of fresh or marine waters.
Washington's certified Clean Marinas provide facilities to safely dispose of used oil and dirty bilge water, trash dumpsters and recycling containers for aluminum cans, glass, newspaper, tin and some plastics.
For example, Stimson Marina provides mobile sewage pump-out services and porta-potty discharge stations at no charge to customers 24 hours a day. In addition, the marina encourages tenants to use on-shore showers, restrooms and laundry facilities, which helps reduce the amount of soapy water and sewage generated on board.
For more information about the Clean Marina program in Washington, access their website at www.cleanmarinawashington.org.
For more information about clean boating go to www.cleanboating.org.
Preventing pollution and oil spills is a top state priority, and maintaining a healthy environment around marinas is one indicator of the health of the surrounding waters.
Ecology provides spill response and oversees cleanup of oil spills. Anyone who sees an oil spill should contact the National Response Center at 800-258-2440 and Washington Emergency Management at 800-OILS911.
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Media Contact: Mary-Ellen Voss, Department of Ecology, Public Information Officer, 360-407-7211, pager 360-956-8296
Ecology's Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
