PORT TOWNSEND — Marinas in Port Townsend and Brinnon marina have been certified under the Clean Marina Washington Program, which is a state effort to stop pollution caused by recreational and commercial boating.
The program recognized the Port of Port Townsend’s Boat Haven and Point Hudson marinas and Pleasant Harbor Marina in Brinnon for efforts to help clean up and protect Puget Sound from pollution.
“The Port of Port Townsend takes its environmental stewardship role seriously,” said Larry Crockett, the Port’s executive director.
“Clean Marina certification is one more step toward demonstrating our efforts to protect Puget Sound.”
The port and Pleasant Harbor Marina, owned by Canadian developer, The Statesman Group, join Winslow Wharf Marina on Bainbridge Island and Islands Marine Center on Lopez Island in earning the certification.
This brings the number of certified marinas in Washington state to 50 — which includes the Port Ludlow Marina. A quarter of the state’s marinas have been certified.
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 funded by a state Department of Ecology grant.
The partnership of businesses, public agencies and environmental groups assists marinas and boaters in preventing oil, sewage and hazardous waste spills.
Crockett said the port’s participation in the program was “mostly centered around our ability to handle wastewater.”
The port last year installed two new boat waste pump-out facilities and has upgraded its best management practices and how it regulates facilities at the marinas.
Those practices include reminding people not use detergents or to wash their boats while afloat in the marina.
Both Crockett and Pleasant Harbor Marina Manager Diane Coleman said their policies now include mechanisms to show those who live aboard boats in the marinas how to use and routinely report the use of marina pump-out facilities.
“It was just getting some programs in place and getting the boaters to help us out and get them on board with it,” said Coleman, who lives at Pleasant Harbor Marina.
The 285-slip marina in Brinnon has a fuel spill response plan should one occur, is a regular recycler and offers boater education and signage, said Coleman, who has managed he marina for more than two years.
“We’re excited about being a clean marina,” she said of the project she worked on for two years.
Jean Baldwin, Jefferson County Public Health director, said her department supports the clean marina program and is working with individual marina businesses.
“This is a lot of work, and they are making a significant commitment,” she said of the port and Pleasant Harbor 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 state 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.
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.
If an oil or hazardous material spill happens, the owner or operator must immediately report it to the state Emergency Operations Center at 800-645-7911 and the Coast Guard at 800-424-8802.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
