|
|
|
|
|
◄
RETURN |
Garbage in the Water -
EE |
|
The Topic:
Anyone who has been to the beach knows that there is
a lot of garbage floating around in our coastal
waters and floating up on shore. Most of this
garbage is making it's way down to the water's edge
through street gutters and storm drains that drain
directly into local creeks. However, a small
percentage may still be originating from vessels
Why Should I Care?
Garbage in the water looks bad, and can cause
problems for both wildlife that mistake it for food
and eat it, and for boaters. A significant number
of boaters have had cool-water intake valves clogged
by plastic bags, causing engine overheating and
expensive repairs. Others have had monofilament
fishing line wrapped around their propeller, and
others have seen enough trash in the water to be
able to use it to follow the direction of the
current flows! |
|
|
|
The Law:
Under U.S. law, it is illegal to put
any
garbage into the water from a vessel that is on a
lake, river, stream, or any coastal waters up to 3
miles offshore. In the Great Lakes, this no garbage
law applies everywhere.
As you venture further offshore, the law loosens a
bit. The biggest thing to remember is that no
matter where you are, NO plastic garbage should ever
go into the water.
If your vessel is 40’ and longer, you are required
to have a “MARPOL” placard as well as a written
waste management plan. These plans simply identify
procedures for collecting, processing, storing and
discharging the vessel’s garbage in accordance with
the law. You also need to identify who is going to
carry out the plan. It is a good idea to educate
each passenger and crew about how to handle garbage
in accordance with the plan. Please note these plans
need to be stored on board. A good place to put them
is with the vessels official papers.
Click here to see a couple of examples of waste
management plans. |
|
|
Under the same law, marinas are required to have
adequate trash receiving capability for their normal
customers. (The Marine Plastic Pollution Research
and Control Act of 1997 is Title II of Public Law
100-200.)
What Can I Do?
-
Establish a policy on your boat that nothing
goes overboard - even apple cores. Alert all
guests and crew to this
policy.
-
Make sure your garbage can is easily
accessible on the boat, and on open boats, make
sure it has a lid to keep light plastics from
catching wind and flying away.
-
Post our bilingual "Stash Your Trash"
poster at a waterfront business or boat
facility. Distribute our brochure about the law
to your local boating group. E-mail us by
clicking
here and we'll mail you copies of the
poster.
-
Download a copy of the "Stash Your Trash"
brochure! click
here. To order a large quantity (i.e. 5 or
more) of "Stash Your Trash" brochures, click
here.
|
|
|
Did you know?....sea turtles love to eat jellyfish.
In their search for the clear colored, pulsing
delicacy, they often eat clear plastic ice bags
instead. |
|
|
|
|
Annapolis, Maryland office
147 Old Solomons Island Road,
Suite 513
Annapolis, Maryland 21401 |
|
|
Alexandria, Virginia office
880 South Pickett Street
Alexandria, Virginia
(703) 823-9550 x3200 |
|
|
|
©
2005 BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and
Clean Water |
|
