Unit Review
Section 1: Work Areas and Boat Hull Washing
In this section, you covered:
Identifying wastewater discharges:
A marina may generate process-related wastewater from equipment cleaning, boat washing, paint spray booths, or other sources. As such, it is important to identify the discharges at your marina. Be sure to obtain an NPDES permit and/or permission from the wastewater treatment plant for all of your discharges.
Designating work areas:
One of the easiest ways to control waste and runoff pollution is to restrict the area where maintenance activities are performed and ensure the designated area has been properly designed to contain waste materials.
Learning about your floor drains:
Check all of your floor drains and make sure you know where they drain. Use dry cleanup methods and do not put other fluids like oil, solvents, paints, or chemicals into a floor drain.
Strategies to control sanding and blasting:
Sanding dust may include a variety of toxic or otherwise harmful materials. There are several strategies that can be employed — for example using paint strippers or vacuum sanders — to ensure that dust does not fall onto the ground, into the water or become airborne.
Minimizing impacts of boat hull washing:
There are several ways you can minimize the impact of hull washing, such as designating a boat hull maintenance area, installing infrastructural improvements to power washing areas, and taking measures to prevent rainwater from entering the area, for example. Also, keep in mind that collection and treatment of wash water is an evolving issue — make sure to work with your state to stay current.
Be wise about conducting in-water maintenance:
Always default to conducting maintenance on dry land, where it is easier to control, contain, and mitigate impacts. No debris or chemical wastes should be allowed to fall into the water. If you must conduct maintenance in the water, follow the best management practices.
Section 2: General Maintenance
In this section, you covered:
Repairing and maintaining engines with care:
Taking care while repairing and maintaining boat parts can help keep pollutants out of the water. For example, use dry pre-cleaning methods and using water-based, non-VOC cleaners.
How to winterize safely:
Keep in mind the best management practices when winterizing the following:
- Antifreeze – use propylene glycol, which is less toxic to humans and animals.
- Bilge Area – encourage boat owners to keep bilges clean and dry during storage season.
- Gasoline – add stabilizers, fill tanks 85-90%, seal cap tightly, and use the highest rated octane.
- Covers – recycle your shrink-wrap in the spring.
Boat cleaning:
If possible, use or sell cleaning products that are environmentally friendly. Use them sparingly and work on land whenever possible.
Minimizing impacts of painting and coating operations:
Restrict spray painting, spraying of fiberglass or other chemicals unless it is done inside of a designated shop, in a spray booth or under a tarp. Best management practices cover:
- Painting Operations
- Spray Painting
- Paint Stripping
- Compound Waxing
- Fiberglassing
- Teak Refinishing
- Varnishing
Minimizing impacts of anti-fouling paints:
Use and recommend anti-fouling paint with minimal environmental impacts. Overall, adhere to your state’s training and licensing requirements (if applicable) for the application of anti-fouling paints.
Boat disposal:
To dispose of a boat in a responsible way, empty the boat’s fuel tanks, remove and recycle boat parts and fluids, remove all mercury-containing devices, reduce the size of the hull into smaller pieces and take care to control fugitive dust.
Educating boaters about their responsibilities:
Inform your patrons when and where they should dispose of their boat maintenance waste, recyclable materials, and any hazardous waste. Post signs, mark designated areas and develop a policy for hazardous and other waste collection and disposal.
Section 3: Handling Chemicals
In this section, you covered:
Store materials with care:
Designate and maintain appropriate storage areas, keep them organized and the containers labeled, routinely inspect the area. Also, make sure caps and lids are secure, separate out the hazardous chemicals by class, store containers on pallets in a protected area away from drains and fire hazards and assign control over the materials. Schedule a basic fire inspection to ensure you are complying with codes.
Handle solvents carefully:
Handle solvents appropriately and keep records of the amount and type of solvent and paint usage. Consider alternatives to solvent-based parts washers such as bioremediation systems that take advantage of microbes to digest petroleum.
Battery storage and disposal:
Implement procedures for the collection, storage and recycling of spent lead acid batteries. Follow BMPs, like proper storage of lead batteries, for safest handling.
Freon recovery:
Use U.S. EPA certified technicians to recover and properly dispose of Freon.