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Virginia Clean Marina
The Marina at Marina Shores is proud to be one of Virginia’s Clean Marinas
About the Virginia Clean Marina Program:
The Virginia Clean Marina Program promotes the voluntary adoption of measures that prevent or reduce pollution from traditional and non-traditional marinas, boatyards and recreational boats. Marina operators that adopt these measures are designated as “Virginia Clean Marinas.”
For more information go to: www.virginiacleanmarina.com. This site is designed to help marina/boatyard operators find out how to become a “Clean Marina,” but also includes other information on regulatory programs, clean boating, current events and activities in the industry and more. Anyone interested in the link between clean marinas and clean waters in VA should explore this site.
What is the Clean Marina Initiative?
The Clean Marina Initiative is a voluntary, incentive-based program promoted by NOAA and others that encourages marina operators and recreational boaters to protect coastal water quality by engaging in environmentally sound operating and maintenance procedures. While Clean Marina Programs vary from state to state, all programs offer information, guidance, and technical assistance to marina operators, local governments, and recreational boaters on Best Management Practices (BMPs) that can be used to prevent or reduce pollution. Marinas that participate in the Clean Marina Program are recognized for their environmental stewardship.
Requirements to be a Clean Marina:
MARINA DESIGN
Site and design marinas such as tides and/or currents will aid in flushing of the site or renew its water regularly.
Assess water quality as part of marina siting and design.
Site and design marinas to protect against adverse effects on shellfish resources, wetlands, submerged aquatic vegetation, or other important riparian and aquatic habitat areas as designated by local, state, or federal governments.
Where shoreline erosion is a nonpoint source pollution problem, shorelines should be stabilized. Vegetative methods are strongly preferred unless structural methods are more cost effective, considering the severity of wave and wind erosion, offshore bathymetry, and the potential adverse impact on other shorelines and offshore areas.
Implement effective runoff control strategies which include the use of pollution prevention activities and the proper design of hull maintenance areas. Reduce the average annual loadings of total suspended solids (TSS) in runoff from hull maintenance areas by 80 percent. For the purposes of this measure, an 80 percent reduction of TSS is to be determined on an average annual basis.
Design fueling stations to allow for ease of spill cleanup.
Install pumpout, dump station, and restroom facilities where needed at new and expanding marinas to reduce the release of sewage to surface waters. Design these facilities to allow ease of access and post signage to promote use by the boating public.
MARINA AND BOAT OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
Properly dispose of solid wastes produced by the operation, cleaning, maintenance, and repair of boats to limit entry of solid wastes to surface waters.
Promote sound fish waste management through a combination of fish-cleaning restrictions, public education, and proper disposal of fish waste.
Provide and maintain appropriate storage, transfer, containment, and disposal facilities for liquid material, such as oil, harmful solvents, antifreeze, and paints, and encourage recycling of these materials.
Reduce the amount of fuel and oil from boat bilges and fuel tank air vents entering marina and surface waters.
For boats that are in the water, perform cleaning operations to minimize, to the extent practicable, the release to surface waters of (a) harmful cleaners and solvents and (b) paint from in-water hull cleaning.
Public education/outreach/training programs should be instituted for boaters, as well as marina owners and operators, to prevent improper disposal of polluting material.
G. Maintenance of Sewage Facilities
Ensure that sewage pumpout facilities are maintained in operational condition and encourage their use.
Restrict boating activities where necessary to decrease turbidity and physical destruction of shallow-water habitat.