OLYMPIA – The Bremerton Marina, operated by the Port of Bremerton, has become the 40th marina to be certified as a Clean Marina Washington participant and is considered a “crown jewel” of the Downtown Bremerton revitalization project.
The marina, which opened for business in May 2008, leases moorage slips of 36 to 60 feet with additional side-tied moorage available for larger vessels. Guest moorage also is available year round.
The marina reviews its best management practices with new tenants and describes the actions the marina and tenants will use to preserve the marine environment. All moorage tenants must sign and agree to the principles outlined in the document.
“We promote environmental stewardship,” said Steve Slaton, Director of Marine Facilities for the Port of Bremerton. “We have built a first-class facility with services that protect our environment from contaminates that would degrade our waters.”
Washington’s 40 certified Clean Marinas offer more comprehensive services that help boaters protect the environment. Many offer services such as facilities to manage hazardous waste; sewage pump-outs; oil recycling; and land-based rest rooms, showers and laundry facilities.
Most provide dumpsters as well as recycling containers for aluminum cans, glass, newspaper, tin and some plastics. A few also provide a compost bin for recycling kitchen scraps.
“It’s great to see marina operators taking prevention seriously and actively seeking Clean Marina status,” said Chip Boothe, Washington Department of Ecology’s oil spill prevention manager. “Clean Marinas represent the best of the best and are safeguarding our waters; preventing spills from happening in the first place.”
Fuel spills, oily bilge water, maintenance debris, garbage, sewage and soaps are among the potential (and preventable) environmental hazards from boaters. Murky waters and rainbow-colored oil slicks are not what people expect to see in the waters of Washington state.
Recreational boats sometimes leak fuel and other petroleum products while moored at local marinas. Even internal leaks can cause a toxic spill when automatic bilge pumps kick on to discharge overboard. In a worst case, boats may sink due to neglect over the long winter months.
Routine boat maintenance is probably the most important thing boaters can do to prevent spills.
Prevention-conscious marina managers are making a concerted effort to keep fuel out of the water by providing fuel dock customers fuel-absorption pads before they begin fueling, in addition to tips on safe, spill-free operations. They know any amount of fuel or oil spilled can contaminate the water and kill aquatic life.
