According to the 1999 U.S. Census, there are 8,200 marinas in the U.S. ranging, from the smallest “mom-and-pop” operations to facilities with hundreds of slips, full repair service, and other amenities serving thousands of boaters. In any location, large groups of people translate into large amounts of waste and pollution, no surprise here. But marinas deserve special consideration: with direct access to waterways, their regular use of hazardous materials, toxic paints, and sometimes-questionable environmental practices can quickly impact local — and not-so-local — water quality. But special problems are calling for special solutions. The concept of ‘Clean Marinas’, a program for those going above and beyond standard marine environmental regulations, is becoming ever more popular.

Unlike the EPA and other regulatory bodies, Clean Marinas, which is run on a state-by-state basis, is not a mandatory program, rather it’s much closer to a grassroots-style campaign, although by 2006 NOAA had already committed $3 million to the cause. Clean Marinas is 100% voluntary and pushes participants above and beyond minimum clean requirements. And, unlike many other voluntary programs, it has been surprisingly successful.

Since the first program debuted in Maryland in 1998, 23 states have adopted the program. Not surprisingly, all of them are either coastal or along the great lakes, although the National Park Service runs its own programs in a few specific watersheds. Because the program lacks central regulation, each state develops its own program, on its own terms. This is helpful because different geographic areas have different challenges stemming from both the environment and the local boating atmosphere. For example, a recreational, year-round boating scene such as in Florida doesn’t have much in common with Maine, whose season is much shorter.

“Its very much an industry-driven program,” says Susan Swanton of the Maine Marine Trade Association which runs the local Clean Marinas Program. “By being responsive to the needs of industry cycles, we have been able to build a good program that people are happy to buy into.” Swanton’s line of thought isn’t unique. The trick is selling the ‘clean’ along with the ‘dream’, and some marina operators are doing just that.

“The whole success [of a marina] is based on cleanliness,” says Dave Jensen, manager of Marina Bay, the largest marina in the greater Boston area. “If we don’t start taking care of things, it will hurt us in the long run.”

Jensen’s program at Marina Bay has achieved a high-degree of environmental friendliness by making both large capital improvements and low-cost management changes. While Massachusetts (SAIL’s home state) does not have a Clean Marina certification program, Jensen has followed the state’s Clean Marina Guidebook to the T, and has gone even beyond further still. Jensen was kind enough to give me a tour of the facility, highlighting not only the expensive, top-of-the-line clean systems, but also the small, everyday pieces which make up the bread and butter of any clean-living program.

With over 600 slips, dry storage, and a full-service department, Marina Bay has a lot of space to take care of. “When I got here (2005) the marina needed a little TLC,” Jensen says standing on the boardwalk with the Boston skyline in the background. “I would say it was a typical New England marina.” According to Jensen, there was no catch system for pressure-washing grey water, open dumpsters lined dock heads, chemicals for boat maintenance and repair were haphazardly stored, and the water quality was less-than-desirable. Four years later, the facility is vastly different, but it’s still a work in progress.

During Jensen’s first year, change was gradual and started with a roundup of problems and initiating better business practices. After a Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) audit, Jensen began by simply organizing the place. A policy was put in place to manage hazardous chemicals, paint and aerosol use was scaled back, and they started purchasing some materials, like antifreeze, in bulk to avoid using many small, plastic containers. However, the road was rocky.

“A recycling program was put into place, but it bombed,” Jensen says with a chuckle. Not surprisingly, most recreational sailboats lack the space to adequately separate trash into recyclable categories; dockside-recycling bins quickly became clogged with garbage and Jensen still hasn’t found an easy alternative. However, he maintains that designing an effective program entails an element of trial and error.

Year Two included the most intense capital improvements. A $30,000 dollar pressure-washer system was installed that catches the bulk of contaminated grey water that’s created when cleaning boat bottoms, though Jensen admits the ‘overspray’ is still an issue. A $10,000 heating-oil burner for the repair shop was purchased and installed and uses old oil from boats to create heat. Jensen proudly tells me that this past winter was the first time they heated the repair shop entirely with used oil, saving about $800 each month.

Marina Bay has recently started a multi-million dollar construction project that includes a few environmental updates along with general renovations, the biggest of which are ‘green barriers’ between parking lots and the water. Trees and bushes planted along the waterfront will not only add to the aesthetic, but that will also help trap run-off, which normally flows directly into the bay.