MAY 2011 - Association of Marina Industries

15Clean Marina & Environmental News Continued from Page 14• Facts about copper bottom paint and its alternatives• The specific “lingo” needed to understand the permitprocess and contentClick add http://www.marinaassociation.org/current-issuesto download the presentation.Presenters:Richard S. Davis, Partner, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.Mr. Davis has practiced almost exclusively under the federalClean Water Act and its state analogues since 1981.Chairing or co-chairing the firm’s Clean Water PracticeGroup for more than 15 years, Mr. Davis helps to directone of the most innovative and dynamic clean water practicesin the United States.Neal Blossom, Director of Research and EnvironmentalAffairs, American Chemet CorporationMr. Blossom was founding Chairman of the US NationalPaint and Coatings Association Marine Antifouling CoatingsTask Force and is a member of the EU Copper AntifoulingTask Force and the International Paint and PrintInk Council Antifouling Working Group.Washington Becomes First State to BanCopper Bottom Paint for RecreationalBoatsWashington is now the first state in the nation to ban copper-basedbottom paint on recreational boats.no paint with more than 0.5 percent copper can be used onrecreation boats as of 2020. The law applies only to recreationalboats 65 feet and under.The law will be enforced by the state Department of Ecology,with fines of up to $10,000 for violations.Copper-based paints have long been recreational boaters’main weapon in preventing marine growth on the bottomof vessels. But the metal can have a detrimental effect onfish and other wildlife, particularly salmon, even at smalldoses.The law puts Washington out front of a growing movementto reduce the amount of copper released into the waterfrom boats. And while numerous paint manufacturers areoffering products containing little or no copper, none haveyet gained widespread acceptance.Some in the maritime community have lauded the NorthwestMarine Trade Association NMTA) for putting forth thebill. But others are critical, saying the bill should apply to allrecreational boats, not just those 65 feet and under, as well ascommercial boats. And some wooden boat owners say thecopper-free alternatives currently available cannot protecttheir vessels from worms and other burrowing pests.The NMTA has said it exempted commercial boats fromthe bill since its focus is on recreational boats, and exemptedboats larger than 65 feet since they are more likely tocruise in warm waters, where copper-free paints may beless effective in preventing bottom growth.Gov. Chris Gregoire yesterday signed into a law a bill prohibitingthe use of the paints on most recreational boats.Under the law, no new boats with copper-based bottompaint can be sold in Washington state after Jan. 1, 2018, andThe bill was prompted in part by a threat by environmentalwatchdog group Puget Soundkeeper Alliance in December2009 to sue five boatyards for alleged violations of the federalClean Water Act. The legal action spurred the NMTA,which had previously worked closely with PSA, to seekproactive measures to help reduce the level of copper andother water-borne pollutants flowing from boatyards —and ideally, discourage additional legal action by PSA.Attention AMI Members:Be sure to share your news with us so we caninclude it in the monthly Advocate newsletter!Email news items to:malves@marinaassociation.org.