Congressman Sam Farr will be the guest speaker as well as Monterey County Supervisor, Lou Calcagno and Superintendent of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Bill Douros. There will be a demonstration of how the equipment operates and the principles of separating oil and water.
Boats can leak oil or fuel into their bilge.
When enough oil and water accumulate in the bilge, the boat's automatic bilge pump will activate, discharging it overboard. This is a major reason why small oil spills are so common in harbors and have been since engines were first installed in boats. Marine mammals lose their insulation when coated with only a dime-sized amount of oil. Harbors all along the West Coast have shown great interest in the oily bilge water pumpout and recycling technology. This facility will help solve common chronic water quality problems and help protect our fragile estuarine and coastal resources.