SECTION 4: Management Measures

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4.9. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Management Measure for Solid Waste:

Properly dispose of solid wastes produced by the operation, cleaning, maintenance, and repair of boats to limit entry of solid wastes to surface waters.

Management Measure Description

This management measure is focused on controlling the solid waste that can collect at marinas and boat ramp sites if waste receptacles are

not provided and conveniently located or if

sufficient attention is not given to controlling

waste produced during boat cleaning, maintenance, and repair activities. Many of the management practices that are useful for reducing

solid waste production during boat maintenance

activities are discussed under the Storm Water

Runoff management measure because much of

the solid waste produced during boat maintenance activities could potentially be carried to

surface waters in storm water runoff. Please

refer to the discussions of those management

practices under the Storm Water Runoff management measure.

The purpose of this management measure is to

prevent solid waste from polluting surface waters.

Solid waste from boat cleaning, maintenance, and

repair might contain harmful substances such as

antifoulant paint chips or solvents used to clean or

polish metal or wood parts. Solid waste from

general activities and marina use, such as plastic

bags, cups, cigarette butts, and food containers,

also pollutes surface waters and degrades the

habitats of aquatic animals and plants. The simple

act of picking up and properly disposing of trash

goes a long way toward preventing this form of

nonpoint source pollution.

Marinas that appear clean because litter is not a

visual problem are also more attractive to

customers when they are shopping for a place to

dock their boats or when the time comes to sign

a new slip rental lease. Cleanliness at a marina

can also lead to public recognition and to fewer

complaints about flat tires or floating trash in slips.

Substantial cleanup costs can be replaced by

small initial investments in trash collection and

preventive practices (Figure 4-15). The investment in some clean marina practices can be

recovered by renting equipment such as dustless

sanders or selling items such as filter cloth to boat

owners.

Providing sufficient waste receptacles, separating

wastes into classes of recyclables, and preventing

litter are all accepted practices today and are part

of customer service and environmentally friendly

management at any public establishment. Marinas

generate solid waste through boat maintenance,

parties and small social gatherings on boats,

restaurants, commercial activity at the marina,

and the day-to-day operation of the facility

Figure 4-15. Filter cloths to capture debris. Port

Annapolis Marina (Maryland) uses geotextile

screening cloths to capture the normal sanding and

scraping debris, as well as screws, nails, and other

solid materials. This reduces cleanup time and

improves appearance (USEPA, 1996: Clean

Marinas—Clear Value).
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National Management Measures Guidance

(Figure 4-16). If adequate trash and solid waste

disposal facilities are not available, solid waste is

more likely to end up in surface waters or scattered on the marina grounds, from which it might

be blown or washed into surface waters. Marina

patrons and employees are more likely to properly

dispose of solid waste if given adequate opportunity and disposal facilities. In fact, under federal

law, marinas and port facilities must supply

adequate and convenient waste disposal facilities

for their customers.

Applicability

This management measure is applicable to all

marinas. Many of the BMPs mentioned here are

directed at boat owners and users, and the

information is provided here so that marina

managers are aware of the potential nonpoint

source pollution problems.

Best Management Practices

♦ Encourage marina patrons to avoid doing

any hull maintenance while their boats are

in the water.

The quantity of debris discarded into the marina

basin from boat maintenance activities can be

minimized by limiting in-the-water boat maintenance to tasks (such as propeller work and hull

inspection) that do not remove paint and other

solid materials. Dustless sanders can be used for

topside work in slips, and tarps can be laid out

between a boat and the dock to catch any debris.

It can be very difficult to do any hull maintenance

while the boat is in the water without some debris

falling into the water, and some marina managers

require that all work be done on land. If feasible,

limit in-the-water hull maintenance to cleaning,

preferably without the use of cleansers. (See the

Boat Cleaning management measure).

♦ Place trash receptacles in convenient

locations for marina patrons. Covered

dumpsters and trash cans are ideal.

Many people don’t want to put their trash anywhere but in a trash receptacle. For these people,

and to encourage those who might otherwise

consider dropping trash on the ground to use trash

receptacles, waste disposal facilities should be

conveniently located near repair and maintenance

areas, in parking lots, on docks, and in heavy-use

areas, such as near grassy areas where people

picnic and in parking lots. Covered trash receptacles do not fill up with water when it rains, do

not lose their contents to strong winds, and are

less likely to be invaded by scavenging mammals

and birds. A loose cover also acts as an indicator

that a receptacle is full. The best overfill prevention is frequent emptying by marina staff.

♦ Provide trash receptacles at boat launch

sites.

Trash disposal can be a big problem at boat

launch ramps. Boat launch sites are often the

most convenient access point to waterbodies, and

people from nearby areas, the non-boating public,

or those not using the launch ramp for boat

launching (e.g., those who use the site for picnicking, swimming, or shore fishing) deposit their trash

in the receptacles provided for boaters at the site.

If trash receptacles are provided at the launch

site, this use can be expected, and a pick-up

schedule should be arranged accordingly. Some

states (e.g., Maine and Minnesota) have experimented with removing trash receptacles from

boat launch sites because overflowing trash

receptacles and litter strewn on the ground can

result from providing trash receptacles that are

insufficient to accommodate the trash from many

users. Some people leave their trash atop an

Figure 4-16. Vacuum sanders. Employees at The

Lodge of Four Seasons Marina (Missouri) use vacuum

or “dustless” sanders to prepare hulls for painting,

reducing waste in the environment and cleanup time

(USEPA, 1996: Clean Marinas— Clear Value).
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overflowing trash receptacle or beside one rather

than taking it with them, thinking it will be picked

up by someone whose job it is to do so. Maine

and Minnesota have found that when trash

receptacles are removed the boating public

generally does not complain and takes their trash

with them. Litter can actually cease to be a

problem after trash receptacles are removed in

these instances. If it is decided not to provide

trash receptacles, posting signs that ask people to

“Pack it out!” can reduce the amount of trash

left at the site.

♦ Provide facilities for collecting recyclable

materials.

Recycling of nonhazardous solid waste such as

scrap metal, aluminum, glass, wood pallets,

alkaline batteries, paper, fishing line and nets, and

cardboard is recommended wherever feasible.

Recyclable hazardous solid waste such as used

lead-acid batteries and used oil filters, should be

stored on an impervious surface, under cover, and

sent to or picked up by an approved recyclable

materials handler. Often a recycling rebate is paid

to the marina for each battery.

Where recycling is available through the municipality, it can be a cost-effective way to decrease

trash disposal costs. Public education is necessary

if a recycling program is to be effective, though

today many people recycle at their homes and

already have a “recycle” consciousness. Hazardous and nonhazardous wastes are collected for

recycling separately.

Although recycling is a preferred disposal method

for reusable materials, not all municipalities

provide the service free of charge. Recycling can

be performed in-house, but private service

providers are often costly. In such a case, the

quantity of waste produced can be lessened by

reusing materials and sharing leftover cleaning

and maintenance supplies (e.g., excess varnish

and paint) among customers. A marina can place

a bulletin board up for notices from patrons about

extra supplies that are available or can provide

some sort of materials exchange program.

♦ Encourage fishing line collection and

recycling or disposal.

Lost or discarded fishing line and netting in

aquatic environments is extremely dangerous to

aquatic life. Providing educational materials about

the dangers these materials pose and receptacles

or a location where marina patrons can dispose of

unwanted fishing line and nets could help reduce

the magnitude of the problem. Information on

debris problems is available from the Center for

Marine Conservation at <www.cmc-ocean.org>.

♦ Provide boaters with trash bags.

Boaters can be encouraged to bring all of the

trash they generate while boating back to an

onshore trash receptacle by providing them with a

plastic bag or other suitable trash container.

Imprinted with a marina’s logo, the bag will carry

the clear message that the marina cares about the

environment.

♦ Use a reusable blasting medium.

New technologies are available that make use of

a plastic blasting medium that can be reused

several times until it wears out. The medium is

used to remove antifoulant paint and is vacuumed

into a hopper along with the debris for recovery,

cleaning, and reclaiming (Figure 4-17). The much

smaller volume of debris is collected and sent to a

landfill.

♦ Require patrons to clean up pet wastes and

provide a specific dog walking area at the

marina.

Where floating piers extend far from the grassy

areas of a marina, dog waste can become a

problem, leading to many complaints from staff

and boat owners. In many cities, dog owners are

required to clean up after their pets when they

The All Seasons Marina (New Jersey)

cut its trash bill in half by taking advantage of the local solid waste recycling

program. The Cap Sante Boat Haven

(Washington) participates in a municipal

recycling program and saves 10 to 20

percent on its annual trash removal bill.

The marina rents 28 recycling bins from

the town and places them at dock

heads for customers’ convenience

(USEPA, 1996: Clean Marinas—Clear

Value).
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National Management Measures Guidance

walk them on public streets and parks. A similar

policy can take care of this problem at marinas.

BMP Summary Table 9 summarizes the BMPs

for Solid Waste Management mentioned in this

guidance.

Figure 4-17. Associated Marine Technologies

(Florida) took prevention of hull sand-blasting debris

a step further by switching from a silica wet/dry

sandblasting medium to a closed system that

employs a reusable plastic material. The facility

uses a high-capacity plastic-medium-blasting dry

stripper and a media reclaimer that recovers the

plastic material and separates it from the paint dust.

This process significantly reduces the cost of

cleanup and disposal, gives a higher-quality

surface, and is much less aggressive on the

gelcoats of fiberglass hulls (USEPA, 1996: Clean

Marinas—Clear Value)
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