FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 25, 2016
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Andy Gregory, Puget Soundkeeper, (206)-297-7002
Lisa Copeland, Department of Ecology, (360) 407-6990
Aaron Barnett, Washington Sea Grant, (206) 616-8929
Clean Marina Washington announces the publication of Pollution Prevention for Washington State Marinas. This 72-page, full-color, interactive handbook provides a comprehensive guide for marina managers and staff to reduce water pollution from their facilities.
A team of experts from agencies including Department of Ecology, Department of Natural Resources, Washington State Parks and organizations including Puget Soundkeeper, Washington SeaGrant, Northwest Marine Trade Association and the EnviroStars Cooperative worked together with marina managers over the last year and a half to produce the document. Led by Andy Gregory of Puget Soundkeeper, the team worked collaboratively to produce a comprehensive update to the Resource Manual for Pollution Prevention in Marinas initially published in 1995.
“We set out to update the old Resource Manual,” said Gregory, who directs Soundkeeper’s pollution prevention efforts and manages the Clean Marina program. “What we ended up with is a beautiful, interactive handbook that will be a strong management tool for pollution prevention. It is the result of a lot of hard work and interdisciplinary collaboration from agency, non-profit, industry and academic leaders in the maritime sector.”
The handbook focuses on best management practices (BMPs), which are common sense, low-cost, practical solutions for preventing pollution. Pollution can come from a variety of sources within a marina, including fuel, sewage, soaps, hazardous waste, and the byproducts of maintenance activities. These pollutants, even in small quantities, can harm fragile marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Many waterbodies in Washington state are already impaired. Agencies and non-profit organizations are working hard to restore them. This handbook empowers small business owners and public ports around the state to contribute to these efforts by implementing simple solutions and educating their customers.
“I am glad that we were offered the opportunity to participate in the re-drafting of Washington State’s Marina Pollution Prevention Handbook,” said Tracy McKendry Director of Recreational Boating for the Port of Seattle. “By participating, marinas working with state and local partners were able to help create a handbook that can assist managers in developing current operating standards and policies that follow today’s regulations.”
Pollution Prevention for Washington State Marinas will be distributed in both hard copy and interactive online form. The online version can be found at https://wsg.washington.edu/marina-handbook. Two hundred hard copies will be printed for distribution to the approximately 200 marina facilities across the state. Clean Marina representatives will be conducting direct outreach to marina owners, managers and staff over the next several months to introduce the handbook and its contents.
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Clean Marina Washington is an incentive-based certification program founded in 2005 that helps marinas assess their operation and make improvements to better protect the environment. When they reach the qualification standards, they earn the right to fly the Clean Marina flag. As of August 2016, 73 certified Clean Marinas existed in Washington state.