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Respecting The Environment
Water
our most important resource
Here
are just a few impacts boating can have on the watershed:
 | Toxic
agents, such as metals, pesticides, biocides, and antifouling agents
associated with marine paints accumulate in sediment, marine plants, and
animals and are very persistent in the marine environments.
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| Oil
and gas dissolve slowly in water and accumulate on particles in marine
sediment. When disturbed, the sediment will release these contaminants which
are toxic to marine plants and animals. Some ingredients are carcinogenic
and can cause mutations and birth defects.
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| Most cleaning
products, including household detergents and soaps, act as dispersants,
contain mercury, and accumulate in sediment. They are toxic to marine plants
and animals, impair breathing in fish, reduce oxygen in the water, and
produce foam on water surfaces.
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FACT: A single litre of fuel can contaminate over 260,000 litres of
water. Therefore, the cumulative effect of small fuel spills has a serious
impact on the harbour.
Actions You Can Take While Fuelling:
| Use caution in filling your fuel tank to avoid
spillage into the water.
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| Listen to your boat - it gurgles before your
tank is full.
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| Use a vent collection device to capture
escaping fuel.
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| While fuelling your vessel, attend the fuel
nozzle at all times.
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| For safety, have all passengers exit the boat
during gasoline fuelling.
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| If you overfill your fuel tank, wipe it up with
a rag. Do not hose down the fuel into the water. Give the soiled rags to
your marina operator for proper disposal.
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| If a spill occurs, do not apply detergents or
soaps. This only spreads the problem.
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| If a spill occurs in a marina, notify marina
management immediately.
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Actions
You Can Take for Bilge Oil:
| Use drip pans with absorbent pads while
draining oil from bilges
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| Keep all engines well tuned; regularly check
seals, gaskets, hoses and connections for leaks and drips. Change oil
filters often.
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| Place oil absorbent material or bio-remediating
bilge boom in the bilge.
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| Clean and maintain bilges and do not use
detergents while cleaning.
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| Remove oil from the bilge using bilge oil
filters or absorbent pads.
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| Trailer your boat to an area that provides
containment before removing bilge or boat plugs.
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| Recycle or properly dispose of used oil and
absorbents. Contact your local authorities or marina management for
petroleum disposal regulations.
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Boat
Cleaning — in the Water
FACT: Products used to wash boat hulls and decks often contain toxic
ingredients such as chlorine, phosphates, and ammonia. Degreasers dry the
natural oils fish need for their gills to take in oxygen.
For
boats that are in the water, use cleaning methods that prevent or contain the
release of pollutants to surface waters.
Actions
You Can Take:
| When possible, remove the boat from the water
and perform cleaning where debris can be captured and properly disposed.
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| Use fresh water to clean your boat after every
use.
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| Use environmentally friendly cleaning methods
and products, including baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice.
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| Ask your marina or marine store to stock
biodegradable spray-type cleaners that do not require rinsing.
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| Reduce the need for in-the-water cleaning, use
dry slips.
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Consider
these Alternatives to Toxic Cleaning Products:
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Toxic
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Alternative
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Detergent & Soap
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Elbow grease - often
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Bleach
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Hydrogen peroxide
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Scouring Powders
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Baking soda
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Floor Cleaner
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One cup white vinegar in 2 gallons water
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Window Cleaner
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One cup vinegar in 1-quart warm water, rinse & squeegee
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Varnish Cleaner
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Wipe with ½ cup vinegar and ½ cup water solution
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Head Cleaner
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Put in baking soda and use a brush
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Shower Cleaner
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Wet surface, sprinkle baking soda, rub with scouring cloth
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Aluminum Cleaner
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2 Tablespoons cream of tartar in 1 quart hot water
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Chrome Cleaner/ Polish
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Apple cider vinegar to clean; baby oil to polish
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Fiberglass Stain Remover
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Baking soda paste
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Drain Opener
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Disassemble and replace; do not use toxic substances
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Mildew Remover
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Paste using equal parts of lemon juice and salt
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Wood Polish
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3 parts olive oil and 1 part white vinegar; almond or olive oil
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Boaters
and Sewage Management:
Boaters,
more than any other group, should want to protect and preserve our
Great Lakes
ecosystem. Further, boaters must understand that vessel sewage is more
concentrated than the sewage generated in your home.
Compounding
this problem for vessel holding tanks is the presence of chemical additives
which have been used to disinfect and deodorize the waste, including
formaldehyde, paraformaldehyde, quaternary ammonium chloride and zinc sulphate.
The discharge of untreated sewage from boats contributes to degradation of the
surface waters by introducing organisms which can cause human diseases such as
gastroenteritis, hepatitis, typhoid, cholera and dysentery.
Actions
You Can Take:
| Patronize marinas with proper facilities
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| When in marinas, use shore side facilities
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| For small boats, encourage the use of
port-o-potties or portable toilets. Use water receiving facilities at boat
ramps, if available.
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| Dispose of your pet's waste properly
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| Encourage marinas to provide pump-out services
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| Use and maintain your Marine Sanitation Devices
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| Hand washing with antibacterial soap and water
is essential for anyone using pump-out equipment. Individuals should wash
their hands thoroughly after every contact.
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What
else can boaters do to protect our waters
| If you witness any
vessel discharging oil or wastes into the water, REPORT IT!!
Collect all relevant information such as vessel number, type of boat,
location, discharge observations, and if possible, document the discharge on
film. Report the violation to the MOE
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| Follow speed
regulations and channel markers.
Speed zones and channel markers are safety devices used to provide guidance
in dangerous areas, to prevent boats from running aground, and to help
protect shoreline from erosion.
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| High speeds in
shallow waters can stir up ground sediments. Such turbulence not only affects aquatic plants and
bottom-dwelling organisms, but also impairs your ability to see possible
areas of danger. Sand, mud and vegetation churned up from the bottom can
also damage your engine's cooling system and lead to expensive repairs!
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| Stow all loose items,
plastic bags, drink cans and other articles properly so they do not blow
overboard. Never, ever throw your trash in the water! Whatever you
take aboard, bring back to shore and be sure to properly recycle any paper,
glass, plastic, aluminum and tin products.
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| When cleaning your
boat, make sure you use phosphate-free and environmentally friendly
detergents,
and dilute the detergent with water. Even at low concentrations, detergents
can cause some of the problems listed previously. Also, try to eliminate
in-water hull cleaning.
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| Clean all mud and
plant debris from the boat, trailer, propeller, live well, and anchors before leaving the
boat launch to prevent the spread of exotic species that cause severe
habitat alteration and degradation.
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