10 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Summer 2023 By Rick Legedza, Boating Ontario BOATING ONTARIO Before starting my career with Boating Ontario as their Clean Marine administrator, we moved our boat to a new marina that was engaged in Clean Marine objectives. What is Clean Marine? As part of our slip agreement, we were required to sign a Clean Marine Commitment stating that we were responsible for ensuring our boat, crew, and guests maintained Clean Marine standards throughout the marina. Simply put, our role was to do our part to sort our waste properly and to keep the waterways clean. The staff welcomed us with a tour of the facility and showed us where waste and recyclables were to be deposited. The marina has a waste oil collection area where boaters can drop off used oil and oil filters for proper hazardous waste collection. The staff showed us where the spill kits were located and explained how to use them, how to effectively deal with minor spills, and who to contact if anything major happened. They also required us to use bilge socks – these contain an absorbent material that removes petroleum products from bilge water, thereby preventing hydrocarbons from being released into the lake. They showed us how to install the bilge socks so they would not interfere with the operation of the bilge pump and how to identify when they should be replaced. We learned how to safely operate the onsite pump-out facility, including the location of the puppy pump-out locations (i.e., where to deposit our doggy bags!) As we enjoyed our new slip and made new friends on the dock, it was apparent that the members of the marina were all very engaged in keeping the marina clean and following the Clean Marine best practices. Everyone we met was very helpful and ready to assist. It was reassuring to know that if there should be a problem, the problem will be dealt with quickly and efficiently. We are very proud to keep our marina fully committed to Boating Ontario’s Clean Marine program. The Benefits of Using a Clean Marine-rated Marina About the Clean Marine Program The Ontario-developed Clean Marine EcoRating Program is an environmental program that allows marine businesses to follow best environmental practices to reduce and prevent water, air, and land pollution associated with recreational boating activities in Ontario. Since the program’s inception in 1995, more than 300 businesses have participated. Marinas voluntarily join the program to participate in a 220-point assessment. Scores from the assessment are converted into an Eco-Rating system ranking from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Diamond Elite as the highest achievement. Re-assessments are mandatory every four years with self-assessments conducted annually. Clean Marine Program Eco-Rated Marinas proudly fly the Clean Marine environmental flag. As a boater, this is your assurance that the marina has adopted the highest environmental standards for marinas in the world.
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