E-mail from marina in MD

[Ross]

The somewhat funny part of this is that copper sulfate is a recommended treatment for excess algea growth in farm ponds.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Y
Without a powerful lobby in congress boaters will always be the target of rediculous laws while the big corporations, the real polluters, get away with doing the real damage.
I don't mind doing my share, but I hate being the fall guy for big business.

I agree, and I live and sail in the San Francisco Bay area.

That's where BoatUS comes in very handy. They're the only large organized group that has any clout.

 

[Steve Dion]

Somebody better figure out a non toxic bottom paint really fast. You can hear the clock ticking.

I doubt that anything that is non toxic today will be non toxic tommorrow.:dance:

 

[thinwater]

There's not much point in random venting. Let's see what we have here:

• No wet scrubbing, hosing or pressure washing of bottom paint allowed while blocked on land. Would you want someone making a mess in your yard?
  
• Use filter cloth or tarp when scraping/sanding. Would you want someone making a mess in your yard?
• No dis-colorization may be noted on the ground under any vessel.
  Would you want someone making a mess in your yard?
• ALL paint cans must be placed outside of the shop on pallets after use. Paint can that contain any wet residue are very likely hazardous waste. They cannot allow you to place them in the dumpster with regular trash. You can of course take them home, dry them, and put them in the trash.
  
• Do NOT throw any paint cans into dumpsters. Staff will properly dispose of paint cans. See above.
  
• Do NOT throw paint brushes, rollers, trays into office lot dumpster if WET. See Above. I always leave them in a neat pile under my boat (on a tarp and covered by the tarp) when finished; by the time I come back to launch they are dry and can be pitched. Very eas and much neater than fooling with the stuff wet.
  
• Put all used painting materials outside of shop for disposal by staff. See above.
  
• Office lot Dumpster is the ONLY dumpster for commercial waste.
• ALL other dumpsters are for residential waste (trash, paper, bottles, cans, food, etc.)
• If in doubt, place item outside of shop door. Staff will dispose of properly.
• Shrink Wrap must be bagged and placed next to dumpster outside of Chandlery

This all seems very reasonable to me.

Why do they need to know the type of paint?

http://www.boatinglaw.com/maritimearticles/MDGeneralAssembly/2012/mdeVOCs2012.html
http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/getfile.aspx?file=26.11.19.27-1.htm

Because they need to calculate the amount of emissions from paints that containe VOCs over the MD limit. You can get this off the MSDS or tech sheet. I found the paints I have used--I checked several and they were all traditional high-Cu solvent paints-- contain less than the mandated 3.3 pounds/gallon, so no problem. You DO NOT have to go to water-based paints, not in MD. Anything less than 400g/L will pass.

Pettit Horizons--------323
Pettit Trinidad---------400
Pettit SR 40------------330
Interlux Micron--------330
Interlux Bottom Coat-465. And I bet this gets reformulated soon.

Just look at it line by line. There is no impact for me, as I always did it this way. They are just asking us to be clean.

• Let them power wash the boat where it can be contained.
• Sand with a good vac set up.
• Dry you stuff before you trash it.
• Read the spec sheet.

 

[anchorclanker]

Its not a question of it being reasonable or not. Its a question of every move we make being scrutinized, and waiting for us to make a mistake so they can come down on us, while public works and big corporations get away with unbelievable trespasses.

And some of we the people are getting tired of it.

 

[capta]

thinwater
A boat yard is not a private residence. It is a business which overcharges where ever they can, in general. Though these rules may seem reasonable on the surface, wouldn't it seem part of the inflated prices to cover their personnel dealing with things like waste disposal. Would you expect to buss your own dishes in an overpriced restaurant?
I can't think of the last time I was treated as a customer by a US yard, rather than an open checkbook. In one instance, after spending a quarter million dollars in a yard in Fla., after paying the bill I was asked how soon could I move the boat as he needed the space. No thank you for your business or any other pleasantry. As an owner's representative building a 5.9 million dollar yacht on the west coast, it was a constant struggle to get the yard to stick to the contract and they had to be watched constantly or they would cut corners. In neither case was it my money, but still, what happened to treating customers as a valued commodity?

 

[thinwater]

I'm missing something.

Everything they asked is required by Maryland state regulation. They are only passing information along. In fact, by offering to take care of wastes left by the shop door they are helping out.

There is nothing on the list (I hope) that they would not do when working in the yard. There is nothing on the list that I would not do when workding in the yard.
It's just housekeeeping.

I understand proclamations from the DNR get tiresome. I understand some yards are though to deal with (I've missed that and my yard generally makes me feel like a guest at a fine hotel--including the bill--but the service is timely, workman-like, on-budget, and on-time). But that is separate from the e-mail content.

And I would rather bend on some of the maintanace rules than have copper taken away, as it has been in some areas.

 

[fstbttms]

I agree, and I live and sail in the San Francisco Bay area.

That's where BoatUS comes in very handy. They're the only large organized group that has any clout.

Don't forget the Recreational Boaters of California (RBOC). Quite influential. They were instrumental in putting a knife in the heart of SB 623, the unsuccessful copper ban here. I have no doubt that they will strongly oppose AB 425 as well, the new copper legislation, when that bill gets up and running.

http://www.rboc.org/

 

[fstbttms]

Somebody better figure out a non toxic bottom paint really fast. You can hear the clock ticking.

There are plenty of non-toxic or non-copper alternatives on the shelves right now.