Are you using a Certified Clean Boatyard yet?

October 30, 2012 | by Ben Lee

Are you using a Certified Clean Boatyard yet?  A what?  Isn’t that an oxymoron?  Boatyards work with toxic chemicals and are located directly on the water. Isn’t there something inherent in their work that is dirty?

Although the work that is done inside of a boatyard has the potential for some nasty environmental consequences (think copper-based paint, acetone, fuel and oil), there are things that can be done to reduce that risk. 

For instance, most yards prevent their pressure-wash water (which has been contaminated by the toxins in the bottom paint it was just cleaning) from running into the surface waters and collect the resulting solids to have hauled away to a specially-lined landfill out of state.  Some yards completely contain the stormwater that runs through their property and funnel it to a costly (though effective) filtration system (like Stormwater Rx and Clear Creek Systems) that removes oil, sediment and heavy metals before it is returned to the lake or Sound.  They have emergency spill kits throughout the yard.  They recycle what material they can.  They often make an effort to pick out floating garbage on or near their property.  They promote zinc-free anodes.

The Clean Boating Foundation, in partnership with other environmental groups and boatyards, has developed the Clean Boatyard Certification Program to highlight those yards in Washington state that achieve full compliance with WA Department of Ecology regulations and even go above and beyond such legal requirements.  Check out our Clean Boatyard tab to see our checklist and what it takes for a yard to become certified.

Leadership Clean Boatyards are yards that are in full compliance with all applicable Ecology regulations and demonstrate true stewardship of the surrounding environment by going above and beyond what’s legally required with a certain number of optional best management practices.  While there are several more certifications in the pipeline, the current class of Leadership Clean Boatyards includes Canal, CSR and Dunato’s in Seattle, Swantown Boatworks in Olympia and the Port of Edmonds Boatyard.

Clean Boatyards are yards that have worked with us and are in full compliance with their boatyard permit and other Ecology hazardous waste regulations.  The current class of Clean Boatyards includes Anacortes Rigging/Yacht Service and Cap Sante Marine in Anacortes, as well as Seaview West in Seattle.

Find a Clean or Leadership Clean Boatyard close to you on our interactive map on the Boater Resources tab – all permitted WA boatyards are marked; certified Clean and Leadership Clean Boatyards are marked in green.  If the yard you normally go to isn’t Clean or Leadership Clean, ask them why not!