Maryland Clean Marina

Bay Boat Works Is A Certified Maryland Clean Marina

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 29, 2002) – Cecil County’s Bay Boat Works in North East is the 39th marina in Maryland to earn the prestigious Clean Marina Award. The Clean Marina designation indicates that Bay Boat Works has satisfied the rigorous pollution prevention standards established by Maryland’s Clean Marina Committee and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as part of the agency’s Clean Marina Initiative (CMI). “Everybody, staff and customers, worked so hard to achieve this award,” said vice president Mary Green. “We are so proud that an older facility like ours has been recognized for upholding high environmental standards related to our operations which include vessel maintenance, a fuel dock, a sewage pumpout system, slip rentals, and winter storage.” Ms. Green runs the marina along with her husband Donald Green whose grandfather started the marina in 1928. The marina is located on 31.7 acres of property, more than 20 acres of which is undeveloped marsh land. The facility is distinguished by a collection of outbuildings that span the marina’s history. For instance, the carpentry shop was use to build ammunition boxes during World War II.

“Certified Clean Marinas demonstrate that recreational boating facilities can be run in such a way that they have minimal environmental impacts,” said Clean Marina Coordinator, Elizabeth Fuller Valentine. “They have discovered that environmentally-responsible practices are also often good business practices. Thus, they can reduce expenses and increase revenue while taking measures to protect the resource upon which the boating industry depends: clean water.” CMI promotes voluntary adoption of measures to reduce pollution from marinas, boatyards, yacht clubs, and recreational boats.

Each of the 39 Clean Marinas has implemented measures to control pollution associated with vessel maintenance and repair, petroleum storage and transfer, sewage disposal, solid, liquid and hazardous wastes, stormwater runoff, and facilities management.

Recognized Clean Marinas may use the Clean Marina logo in their advertising and on their letterhead. They also receive a flag to fly from their facility, a page on the Clean Marina web site (www.dnr.state.md.us/boating), and promotion in Clean Marina publications.

Signing the Clean Marina pledge is the first step toward receiving recognition as an environmentally-responsible marina. So far, 145 entities have taken the pledge. There are approximately 600 boating facilities in Maryland and the CMI’s goal is to certify 150 of those as Clean Marinas or Clean Marina Partners by 2004. The Clean Marina Partner designation recognizes boating facilities other than marinas, boatyards, and yacht clubs that are implementing pollution prevention measures. There are 8 certified Clean Marina Partners.

For more details about the Maryland Clean Marina Initiative, call the Department of Natural Resources at (877) 620-8DNR, ext. 8770, or check DNR’s website at www.dnr.state.md.us/boating.