Murky waters and rainbow-colored oil slicks are not what people envision when referring to the pristine waters of Washington state, and an increasing number of marinas are taking actions to prevent these problems at their locations.
     
     Three new marinas were certified this month as Clean Marinas: Port of Seattle's Fishermen's Terminal (Scott Brown, Harbormaster), city of Oak Harbor Marina (Mack Funk, Harbormaster), and Hood Canal Marina in Union (Cindy Sund, Manager).
     
     There now are 39 certified Clean Marinas in Washington under our state's Clean Marina Program - a partnership of business, public agencies, and environmental groups.
     
     "It's great to see more and more marina operators taking prevention seriously and actively seeking Clean Marina status," said Chip Boothe, Washington Department of Ecology's oil spill prevention manager. "These marinas represent the "best in class" and are our first line of defense against most spills that happen at marinas."
     
     Eric Olsson of University of Washington's SeaGrant Program and an outreach person for the Clean Marina Washington program said, "Routine boat maintenance is probably the most important thing you can do to prevent spills. A clean boat is a safe boat. Oil spilled in shallow waters, such as marinas, can be more concentrated, making it more harmful to the environment."
     
     Recreational boats sometimes leak fuel and other petroleum products while moored at local marinas. Automatic bilge pumps can discharge fuel and oil into the water from unsecured or leaking fuel lines, engine oil leaks or the boats themselves may sink due to neglect over the long winter months.
     
     Prevention-conscious marina owners are making a concerted effort to keep fuel out of the water by providing customers fuel-absorption pads before they begin fueling and tips on safe, spill-free operations. They know any amount of fuel or oil spilled can contaminate the water and kill aquatic life.
     
     Many marinas also offer more comprehensive services that help boaters protect the environment, such as facilities to manage hazardous waste, sewage pump-out, and land-based restrooms, showers and laundry facilities. Most marinas also provide trash dumpsters and recycling containers for aluminum cans, glass, newspaper, tin and some plastics. A few even provide a compost bin for recycling kitchen scraps.
     
     Most marina operators are looking for ways to prevent oil spills while making sure they can deal with them when they occur. Many have emergency spill kits that include oil barrier equipment (also known as containment boom) and absorbent pads.  The Department of Ecology has placed caches of oil spill response equipment in 99 locations throughout the state, including many marinas, to enhance their ability to quickly clean up oil spills.
     
     The Clean Marina program offers boaters these suggestions for preventing spills:
     
. Check for oil and fuel leaks, and fix them before putting the boat away for the winter.

. Do not drain oil into the bilge (boat's bottom); use an oil pan or oil-absorbing pads and pillows. A clean absorbent pad placed in the bilge-pump area will collect oil that leaks and keep it from being pumped out of the bilge area.

. Replace old or damaged oil or fuel lines and hoses.

. Checking the battery that supports your boat's automatic bilge pump is crucial in keeping it afloat. Without an operational bilge pump, a leak will quickly fill your boat's bilge, sinking the boat and releasing any oil onboard into the water.

. Do not use toxic chemicals to clean your engine or the boat's engine space.

. Keep the boat rainwater-proof. Inspect all cockpit drain plugs and make sure the holes are clear.

    These practices include rules and regulations from Ecology, U.S. Coast Guard and the federal Clean Water Act. State and federal laws prohibit discharging any amount of oil into water.

     If a spill happens, the owner or operator must report it to Washington's Emergency Operations Center at 800-OILS-911 and the U.S. Coast Guard at 800-424-8802.