Boatyards may need to purchase costly equipment to filter pollutants from water runoff, if more stringent regulations proposed by the state Department of Ecology are approved.
The proposed regulations would affect the roughly 80 boatyards in Western Washington, including at least seven in Skagit and Island counties. The proposal applies to boatyards that serve vessels 65 feet or less in length. Comments will be taken until Dec. 31.
The more stringent regulations are aimed at reducing pollutants, such as copper from boat paint, from entering the marine environment, state officials said. When vessels are washed with pressure washers, copper paint chips and other pollutants get in the runoff, Ecology officials said.
Copper has adverse effects on salmon and other marine life, according to a federal study. A state study found high levels of copper in the water at two marinas in Anacortes.
There are some circumstances under which low-tech devices, such as brooms and sweepers, could be used to reduce contaminants in runoffs, according to the Northwest Marine Trade Association. But officials in the trade association say that most boatyards will need to spend at least $100,000 on equipment and infrastructure changes to meet the proposed regulations.
For more information on the proposed regulations, contact Ecology’s Gary Bailey at 360-407-6433 or via e-mail at , or log onto http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/permits/boatyard/index.html
