FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Clean Marina Washington Reaches 50 Certified Participants

Our Clean Marina Program Reaches a Milestone

Port of Port Townsend recieves 50th Clean Marina Certification

   The Clean Marina Washington program has reached a milestone in its concerted efforts to stop pollution caused by recreational and commercial boating. In time for Earth Week, the program announced today that it certified five new marinas, bringing the total to 50 - nearly a quarter of all facilities in the state.
   The voluntary, incentive-based program is aimed at protecting the marine environment. Clean Marina Washington was created in 2005 by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Northwest Marine Trade Association and EnviroStars Cooperative. The program is strongly supported and currently funded by a Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) grant.
The partnership of businesses, public agencies and environmental groups assists marinas and boaters in preventing oil, sewage and hazardous waste spills - helping them recognize that even small quantities add up to cause significant environmental harm to our waters.
   The newly certified marinas are:

• Pleasant Harbor Marina, Brinnon, Wash., Jefferson County
• Port of Port Townsend, Point Hudson Marina, Jefferson County
• Port of Port Townsend, Port Townsend Boat Haven, Jefferson County
• Winslow Wharf Marina, Bainbridge Island, Kitsap County
• Islands Marine Center,  Lopez Island, San Juan County

   "The Port of Port Townsend takes its environmental stewardship role seriously," said Larry Crocket, the Port's executive director. "Clean Marina certification is one more step toward demonstrating our efforts to protect Puget Sound."  See the complete list of all certified Washington Clean Marinas.
   Under the program, marinas applying for certification review their best management practices governing marina operations and how boaters protect water quality as they care for their vessels in the marina. The review process describes the actions the marina and tenants will use to preserve and enhance the marina environment.
   Besides Ecology, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, and Washington Sea Grant are partners in the Clean Marina program. Under the Partnership, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, EnviroStars and Washington Sea Grant perform the site visits and certifications.
   Clean Marinas often offer comprehensive services that help boaters protect the environment, such as:

• Safe and secure oil recycling.
• Bilge water collection.
• Facilities to manage hazardous waste.
• Sewage pump-outs and land-based restrooms.
• Showers and laundry facilities.
  

   Clean Marinas also provide trash bins and recycling containers for aluminum cans, glass, newspaper and some plastics. Some even have compost bins for recycling kitchen scraps.

    "Clean Marinas provide services and guidance to make it easier for boaters to do the right thing," said Chris Wilke, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and manager of the Clean Marina Washington program. "As boaters become more accustomed to seeing these practices, it raises the expectation that it should always be done this way and that all pollution should be kept out of the environment."

   Fuel spills, maintenance chemicals, soaps, garbage, sewage and food waste are among the everyday potential environmental hazards from boaters.  Catastrophic events also can happen including sinking boats, large oil spills, fires and even explosions - all of which damage the environment.  "Murky waters and rainbow-colored oil slicks are not what people envision when they think of Washington's pristine waters," said Chip Boothe, Ecology's spill prevention manager. "It's great to see more and more marina operators taking pollution prevention seriously and actively promoting and supporting responsible boating practices."
   Boothe said recreational and commercial fishing boats sometimes leak fuel and other petroleum products while moored at local marinas. Automatic bilge pumps can discharge fuel or oil into the water from unsecured or leaking fuel lines, engine oil leaks or the boats themselves may sink due to neglect over the long winter months.
   Prevention-conscious marina owners are making a concerted effort to keep fuel out of the water by providing customers fuel-absorption pads before they begin fueling as well as tips on safe, spill-free operations.  They know any amount of fuel or oil spilled can contaminate the water and harm or kill aquatic life.
   Most marina operators are looking for ways to prevent oil spills while making sure they can deal with them when they occur. Many have emergency spill kits that include containment boom and absorbent pads.  Ecology has pre-positioned oil spill response equipment in 99 locations across the state, including many marinas, to enhance their ability to quickly clean up oil spills.
   Ecology and Clean Marina Washington offer these spill-prevention
suggestions:

• Check for oil and fuel leaks, and fix them before launching your boat.
• Do not drain oil into the boat's bilge; use an oil pan or pump and have oil-absorbing pads handy. A clean absorbent pad or sock placed in the bilge will collect leaked oil and help keep it from being pumped out into the water.
• Replace old or damaged oil or fuel lines and hoses.
• Don't use toxic chemicals to clean your bilge or the boat's engine space.
• Checking the battery that supports your boat's automatic bilge pump is crucial in keeping it afloat. Without an operational bilge pump, a water leak can quickly sink the boat and release any onboard oil or fuel into the water.
• Keep the boat rainwater-proof. Inspect cockpit drain plugs and make sure the holes are clear.

   These practices include rules and regulations from Ecology, the U.S. Coast Guard and the federal Clean Water Act. State and federal laws prohibit discharging any amount of oil into water. If an oil or hazardous material spill happens, the owner or operator must immediately report it to Washington's Emergency Operations Center at 800-OILS-911 and the Coast Guard at  800-424-8802.
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Media Contacts:
    Curt Hart, Ecology media relations, 360-407-6990; cell 360-480-7908
(curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov)
    Chris Wilke, Washington's Clean Marina Program Manager, 206-297-7002 (chris@pugetsoundkeeper.org)

Ecology's Spills Program: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html
Clean Marina Washington Program: www.cleanmarinawashington.org/
Clean, Green Boating:  www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/nonpoint/CleanBoating/index.html

Marina contact information:

• Pleasant Harbor Marina on Hood Canal:, Diane Coleman, 360-796-4611
• (www.pleasantharbormarina.com)
• Port of Port Townsend's Point Hudson: Tami Ruby, 360-385-2828
• (www.portofpt.com/point_hudson.htm)
• Port of Port Townsend's Port Townsend Boat Haven: Tami Ruby, 360-385-2355 (www.portofpt.com/boat_haven.htm)
• Winslow Wharf Marina: Dave Lafave, 206-842-4202(www.winslowwharfmarina.com)
• Islands Marine Center on Lopez Island: Jennifer Meng, 360-468-3377 (www.islandsmarinecenter.com)

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