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May Jun 2015 Marina World

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The magazine for the marina industry

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT The project with full boardwalks in place. Opportunities for existing waterfronts There are also huge opportunities for incorporating environmental design in redeveloped and upgraded waterfront areas. There are many areas developed 100 or 50 years ago that need seawall repairs. After analysing a number of options, Palm Beach County (Florida) replaced a failing seawall in a coastal lagoon with rock revetment and mangrove shoreline - then created a detached mangrove island, built public access boardwalks and added a now heavily used kayak launch. While this example was not for a marina renovation per se, there is an undercurrent to incorporate living shorelines in waterfront renovation planning of existing communities throughout South Florida. For the Blueways Master Plan for the City of Miami Beach, for example, we found a number of circumstances and locations where shoreline repairs, waterfront park enhancements and public docking facilities could include environmental design features and sea level rise adaptation strategies. Early incorporation of environmental evaluations and proactive environmental design are powerful tools for marina planning and waterfront redevelopment as part of a value added framework. Esteban L. Biondi is associate principal and marina studio leader for Applied Technology & Management, Inc. He can be contacted on email: ebiondi@appliedtm.com Since 2002, the world’s only A – Z of marina management & operation. Used in 16 countries. Edition 4 totally re-edited and re-formatted. Ultra clear and easy to use. Use of The Marina Manual will save you hundreds of hours of management time and/or hundreds of thousands of dollars in management fees. See Downloads at www.marina-manual.com on site Esbjerg Denmark 2014 2 pontoons 35 x 4,80 meter We build your breakwater wherever you need it Save up to 30% • Floating breakwaters up to 8 metres wide • Commercial pontoons up to 35 metres long x 200 tonnes • We build ‘on site’ • No transport costs saving you 30% or more Marina Amsterdam, NL www.breakwater.eu • Tel. +31(0)416 666 990 44 www.marinaworld.com - May/June 2015

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Simplifying boat wash regulations In 1972 the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was created in Section 402 of the US Clean Water Act. “NPDES prohibits [discharges] of pollutants from any point source into the nation’s waters except as allowed under an NPDES permit.” Tom Callahan outlines the implications in terms of boat washing operations The environmental impact of marinas is always a hot button and sometimes a source of frustration and misunderstanding to marina operators. To add to any other concerns, boat washing operations have become a regulatory issue in many US boating states. According to the regulations published in 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires permits for industrial activities that generate water pollution and degrade surface water, including boat washing. Surface water is defined as water that has not penetrated below the surface of the ground including water in lakes, rivers, streams or other fresh water sources frequently used for drinking water supplies. Surface water pollution occurs when hazardous substances come into contact and either dissolve or physically mix with the water. In the US the NPDES permit programme, authorised by the Clean Water Act, controls point source water pollution (e.g. pipes and ditches) and regulates polluted water discharge into surface water. The NPDES regulations preclude Rinsing a boat using a closed loop boat wash recycling system meets NPDES permit regulations. old practices and it is no longer acceptable to discharge used boat wash water back into the surface water or surrounding waterway. It is, however, still acceptable to ‘rinse’ a boat over a pervious (grass, dirt, gravel) surface with clean water where there is no ablative bottom paint containing small particle metals like lead, copper and zinc or any oil and grease and no non-biodegradable cleaners or motor oil spills. If this scenario is possible, the essential clean wash water flows not into the surface waters but into the groundwater. This example involves cleaning a boat with clean water and no toxic chemicals or non-biodegradable soaps and is the only exception to the rule for boat washing without a collection wash pad and containment. Although the NPDES permit regulation has been on the books for decades, its relevance is still fairly new to many marinas. Solutions and alternatives that make boat washing possible are evolving and gaining performance and cost track records. Stopping boat wash operations altogether is an option but not a likely alternative so the most common boat washing methods need to be considered. These include: 1. Stormwater discharge: applying for a state NPDES permit, compliance with recommended testing procedures and likely pre-treatment filtration to discharge to stormwater. 2. Discharge to your local sanitary sewer authority, with unique quality standards testing and fees. www.marinaworld.com - May/June 2015 45

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