First group of boatyards deemed ‘clean’ under new program
Feb 1 2012 in Boat Show 2012, Business of Boating, Environment by Deborah Bach
The NMTA's Peter Schrappen, left, and Ben Lee, right, with Ivaylo Minkov, general manager of Canal Boatyard. The yard was among the first four to be certified under a new program. Photo courtesy of NMTA
Four Washington boatyards recently became the first to be certified under a new program that aims to help protect Puget Sound from water-borne pollutants.
Cap Sante Marine in Anacortes, Seaview and Canal boatyards in Seattle and Swantown Marina and Boatworks in Olympia were certified as “clean” under the new Certified Boatyard Program, run by the year-old Clean Boating Foundation. The designation verifies that the yards have implemented specific practices to reduce the level of copper, zinc and other pollutants flowing into the Sound.
“We think this really adds another layer of protection to Puget Sound that wasn’t in place before,” said the Northwest Marine Trade Association’s Peter Schrappen.
The Clean Boating Foundation is a nonprofit organization launched last year by the Northwest Marine Trade Association. The foundation has a booth at the Seattle Boat Show in CenturyLink Field Event Center, where showgoers can enter to win two gallons of non-copper bottom paint and learn about the foundation’s work.
The program’s goal is to help boatyards comply with Washington’s Boatyard General Permit, which aims to control pollutants in wastewater and stormwater runoff from boatyards, and to promote yards that go above and beyond the permit requirements.
The certification of the four boatyards follows a year-long process that started with putting together a foundation board of NMTA staffers, boatyard owners and representatives from environmental groups. With input from the state Department of Ecology, which oversees the Boatyard General Permit, the board developed a checklist of certification criteria.
The process of developing the criteria included consultation with Puget Soundkeeper Alliance (PSA), though the organization is not part of the board (note: this story has been updated from a previous version).
Relations between the NMTA and PSA were strained after the environmental group threatened in December 2009 to sue five Seattle-area boatyards over alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act. The boatyards settled out of court with PSA to avoid costlier litigation, and the action sparked widespread anger and resentment among the Northwest marine community.
Schrappen said having PSA at the table has helped heal the relationship between the two organizations.
“Leaving all the baggage outside and talking about what we can to together to save Puget Sound has been a really rewarding experience,” Schrappen said.
Most items on the certification checklist are required by law under the boatyard permit — for example, regularly sampling stormwater runoff for pollutants and reporting the results to the Department of Ecology. Boatyards can earn extra points by meeting optional items on the list, such as washing and reusing rags and advising customers about environmentally friendly products.
Over the past few months, Schrappen and Clean Boating Foundation staffer Ben Lee, who manages the boatyard program, have reached out to the 69 Washington boatyards covered under the boatyard permit to tell them about the program and solicit feedback. They have held workshops and gone out to yards to help walk them through the checklist.
Lee said boatyard owners have been receptive to the program and appreciate having someone to help them navigate the new state boatyard permit that took effect last June.
“Most people I’ve talked to have just been excited about the Clean Boating Foundation as a resource for them,” Lee said. “It’s really nice that we can be there to act as a conduit for information. “
The Certified Boatyard Program is modeled after the Washington Clean Marina program, which certifies marinas that implement measures to protect the aquatic environment, and also after the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish counties’ Built Green program, which establishes standards for residential construction.
Boatyards certified under the program will be promoted by the NMTA and on the program’s website. Lee sees certification as a valuable marketing tool to help attract environmentally conscious boaters looking to make informed choices about which yards they use.
“A lot of these yards are doing the right things and doing extra things they don’t have to,” he said. “I think it’s going to be powerful to then have something to show for that.”
Chris Wilke said on February 7, 2012
Nice Work. Congratulations Ben and Peter and to the first class of certified Clean Boatyards!
Peter Schrappen said on February 1, 2012
Deborah, thanks for the covering the big news from Clean Boating Foundation.
It’s important to note that the Clean Boating Foundation and NMTA are two distinct organizations with separate by-laws, boards of directors, IRS numbers, et al. While I work for both organizations, Ben Lee is a dedicated CBF employee.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at our booth (409),
Peter Schrappen