Region 1: EPA New England

Boating in Connecticut Should Be Good Clean Fun

By Robert W. Varney and Jane K. Stahl July 25, 2003	This column for: CT | ME | MA | NH
	Archive

For many of us, boating is the essence of summer in New England. Whether for fishing, cruising or a trip to the beach, the region's lakes, rivers and bays are now abuzz as hundreds of thousands of boating enthusiasts take to the water.

As we savor the summer, we should all keep in mind that fishing, swimming and other boating activities would not be enjoyable without clean and safe water and that each and every person out on the water has a role in keeping our water bodies clean.

Last month, the Marine Environmental Education Foundation (MEEF) kicked off its sixth annual National Clean Boating Campaign on Boston's waterfront. Participants at the event celebrated the growth and vibrancy of the nation's recreational boating industry, which provides 17,000 full-time jobs and $1.7 billion of economic activity in Massachusetts alone. But it is also gave us a chance to take stock of the industry's performance in keeping the region's waters free from pollution. It let us assess the environmental habits of well over a half million boats registered in New England and the thousands of marinas and boatyards that service those boats.

The campaign coincides with several very successful efforts in Connecticut.

EPA, the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut Marine Trades Association are working on a voluntary initiative to spur sales of low-pollution outboard and personal watercraft engines. These engines replace conventional two-stroke engines, which discharge up to 30 percent of their gas and oil into the water and air as pollution. Nineteen engine dealers are participating in the initiative so far and last year 80 percent of the engines they sold were the cleaner marine engines. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is doing its part by purchasing the low-emission marine engines for its vessels since 2001.

EPA and DEP also are pushing aggressively to ensure that boaters take advantage of 78 pump-out facilities available across the state, including nine pump-out boats, for pumping out boat sewage holding tanks. DEP has also submitted an application to the EPA to designate Stonington Harbor as the state’s first No Discharge Area and is currently preparing an application to designate a second No Discharge Area westward of Stonington Harbor to the Thames River. (Boat discharges are illegal in No Discharge zones.)

Through the state’s new Clean Marina Program, DEP is certifying marinas, boatyards and yacht clubs that go beyond regulatory compliance and participate in voluntary measures to keep Connecticut waters clean. To date, two marinas have been certified and 19 more have pledged to become certified within the year. DEP is also distributing Clean Boater packets to Connecticut boaters and asking them to take a Clean Boater Pledge to use clean boating practices, including keeping trash out of water, using pump-outs and properly disposing of all waste.

Back in Boston, at this year’s celebration, boaters learned simple techniques to avoid polluting waterways. According to the campaign, boaters can follow some basic steps to help keep lakes, rivers, oceans and harbors clean:

BOAT MAINTENANCE : When caring for your boat, use environmentally friendly products that will not harm the water.

• Physically remove old paint without chemical use.
• Scrape, sand and strip on shore over a drop cloth to catch all debris.
• Use less toxic bottom paints that do not contain tributyltin or copper.
• Avoid cleaners that contain phosphates, ammonia, chlorine, caustic soda or potassium hydroxide.
• Frequently inspect fuel lines for leaks or potential leaks such as cracks and loose connections. Repair as necessary.
• Change oil and transmission fluid with a spill proof pump or vacuum tank; slip a plastic bag over the oil filter before removal.
• Use orange-pink colored propylene antifreeze/coolant, which is less toxic, instead of blue-green ethylene glycol, which is very toxic and kills animals that ingest it.

BILGE CARE:

• Keep a drip pan or absorbent pads under the engine to capture oil and gas drips.
• Use absorbent pads, not detergents, to remove oil from the bilge.
• Never pump bilge water that is oily or has a sheen.
• Avoid using bilge cleaners that are detergents or emulsifiers since these chemicals dissolve the oil and fuel into water, leaving your bilge clean, but the water polluted.

SEWAGE DISPOSAL

• Make sure your boat has a proper, well-maintained waste containment system.
• Familiarize yourself with pump-out stations available for discharging waste, and use these free or inexpensive facilities.

For more information on clean boating, visit EPA New England’s web site at www.epa.gov/ne or the National Clean Boating Campaign’s web site at www.cleanboating.org.

Boating is good clean fun. Let's keep it that way by doing our part to keep New England's waters clean!

Robert W. Varney is regional administrator of EPA's New England Office.
Jane K. Stahl is deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection