Sea Scout ShipSouthWinds 100

Environment

Water Pollution• Oil• Hazardous Materials• Plastics & Garbage• Sewage• Gray Water

Environment – Sec. 1

Requirement: Ordinary 12.• Discuss with an adult leader the Federal

Water Pollution Control Act as related to oil discharges.

• Explain what a “Discharge of Oil” placard is & find it aboard your ship’s vessels.

Water Pollution – Oil

• “Oil” includes petroleum (e.g., gasoline, diesel, etc.), fuel oil, sludge, oil refuse & oil mixed with wastes.

• “Discharge” includes spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping.

Oil – Definitions

• Oil floating on the water decreases the amount of light that can penetrate the water, which in turn decreases the amount of O2 that marine plants make.

• Oil isn’t just harmful to underwater creatures, it can also do serious harm to fish embryos & shore birds.

• Oil can coat feathers, destroying insulation, & it can poison birds if they ingest it while preening.

Oil – How Harmful Is It?

• Oil residue tends to build up in the bilges of boats & can easily be discharged directly into the water.

• The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 prohibits the discharge of oil into U.S. navigable waters.

• The penalty for illegal discharge may be a fine of up to $10,000 or up to five years in jail or both.

• The responsible party is also liable for all cleanup & claims of loss or injury to other parties.

Oil – Regulations

For boats 26 feet in length or longer, you must display a placard at least 5 by 8 inches, in a conspicuous place.

Oil – Placard

• Large ships aren’t the only culprits when it comes to oil pollution.

• Recreational boaters also contribute. Small spills caused by overfilled fuel tanks, leaking outboard motors & oily bilges may not seem like a big deal, but drop by drop, they can do serious harm to fish, birds & other wildlife.

• Just a few gallons accidentally discharged from a small boat can create a slick the size of an entire marina.

Oil – Recreational Boaters

One significant source of oil discharge is the use of older 2-stroke engines.• They are very inefficient & can

discharge unburned fuel or oil directly into the water.

• At high speeds, 2-stroke engines can waste 20-30% of the fuel being used.

• At lower speeds, up to 40% can be wasted.

Save on fuel costs & protect marine life by upgrading to a 4-stroke engine.

Oil – Outboard Motors

• Regularly inspect fuel lines & tanks, filters, vents, bilge pumps & other areas that are susceptible to leaks.

• Keep oil-absorbent sponges or pads in the bilge (i.e., absorbs only fuel & oil, but not water).

• Keep oil-absorbent sponges on hand when you are fueling your boat.

• Use environmentally friendly cleaning agents.• Avoid pumping oily bilge water or other

hazardous substances into the water.

Oil – Things To Do

• The Federal Water Pollution Control Act also specifies that using soap as a dispersant on an oil spill is illegal & violators can face severe state & federal fines.

• Using dish soap does not get rid of the spill, it simply causes the oil to disappear from sight by breaking it down into smaller droplets.

• This makes the spill harder to clean up & ultimately more toxic because of the additional chemicals.

Oil – What Not To Do

Oil – The Bottom Line

Water Pollution –Hazardous MaterialsRequirement: Able 12a.• Demonstrate your knowledge of local

environmental laws related to the proper storage, disposal & cleanup of maritime coating materials, fuels & other environmentally sensitive materials.

“Hazardous materials” include paints, stains, varnishes, solvents, pesticides & other materials or products containing volatile chemicals that can catch fire, react or explode, or that are corrosive or toxic.

Hazardous Materials –Definition

• Bottom paint is made to prevent growth on the hull.

• Top-coat & varnish are made to resist mold & the elements.

• Neither are environmentally safe & all are toxic to both humans & marine life.

• Silicon- or Teflon-based paints are more environmentally friendly, or you can use a non-ablative (copper based) anti-fouling paint.

Hazardous Materials –Boat Painting Example

• Hull prep requires lots of sanding.

• Avoid inhalation & skin contact.

• Vacuum or collect dust.

Hazardous Materials –Boat Painting Example

• Minimize the use of toxic materials while the vessel is in the water.

• Use environmentally-friendly products whenever possible.

• Use a suspended tarp to catch spills, paint scrapings, or debris when cleaning or painting your vessel.

• Use silicon- or Teflon-based paints or a non-ablative (copper-based) anti-fouling paint.

Hazardous Materials –Things To Do?

Requirement: Able 12b.• Discuss with an adult

leader the dumping of garbage in the marine environment.

• Review the contents of the MARPOL placard & locate it aboard your ship’s vessels.

Water Pollution –Plastics & Garbage

• Although the majority of garbage floating around in our water or obscuring our shorelines made its way there through street gutters & storm drains flowing into local streams, ships are also responsible for dumping plastics & garbage.

• Garbage looks bad & is deadly to wildlife & dangerous for boaters (e.g., plastic items foul propellers & clog engine intake systems causing disabled vessels, expensive repairs & lost time.

Plastics & Garbage –How Harmful Is It?

Plastics & Garbage –How Long Until It’s Gone?

Garbage Time to Decompose

Glass Bottles 1 million years

Monofilament Fishing Line

600 years

Plastic Beverage BottlesDisposable Diapers

450 years

Aluminum Cans 80 – 200 years

Foamed Plastic Buoy 80 years

Rubber Boot Sole 50 – 80 years

Tin CansLeather

50 years

• The International Treaty to Prevent Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) addresses marine pollution.

• MARPOL prohibits the dumping of plastics, paper, glass, metal & food wastes, & the emission of air pollutants.

• The civil penalty per violation could be up to $25,000 & criminal penalties could be up to $50,000 or up to five years in jail or both.

Plastics & Garbage –Regulations

For boats 26 feet in length or longer, you must display a placard in a conspicuous place.

Plastics & Garbage – Placard

Plastics & Garbage –The Bottom Line

http://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/funandgames/jmc_kure.htmlhttp://ghostgear.worldanimalprotection.org

Water Pollution – SewageRequirement: Quartermaster 12a.• Discuss the three

types of marine sanitation devices (MSDs) & the laws governing sewage discharge.

Sewage – How Harmful Is It?One of the largest environmental problems is caused by sewage discharged from vessels, especially in shallow bays & inlets.

Sewage – Regulations• Sewage must be treated

properly before disposal.

• If your boat has an installed toilet, it must have an operable marine sanitation device (MSD) on board & be designed to prevent discharge into the water.

• The USCG certifies MSDs.

Sewage – MSD• Type I & Type II MSDs

treat waste with special chemicals to kill bacteria.

• These devices must have the “Y” valve secured so it cannot be opened when the vessel is on waters where sewage cannot be dumped overboard (e.g., fresh water, within three miles of the coast, etc.).

Sewage – MSD• Type III MSDs provide no sewage treatment

& are either portable toilets or holding tanks.

Sewage –How to Use a Marine Headhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbP-SeepJpM

Sewage – Pump-out• Collected waste is disposed of at a pump-out

station or onshore toilet.

Water Pollution –Gray WaterRequirement: Quartermaster 12b.• Explain what gray water is & how it

should be handled in your boating area.

• “Gray water” includes drainage from washing your hands or dishes, taking a shower, doing laundry or even brushing your teeth.

• It does not include drainage from toilets, urinals or cargo spaces.

Gray Water – Definitions

• “Biodegradable” means capable of being decomposed by biological agents.

Gray Water –How Harmful Is It?• Gray water is problematic to our aquatic

environment because of the soaps & detergents that are used.

• Even those labeled as biodegradable contain substances that are harmful to some marine life.

• Keep in mind that biodegradability doesn’t necessarily mean environmentally friendly.

• Biodegradable soap is NOT biodegradable because it requires soil for it to breakdown properly.

Gray Water –Things to Do• To reduce the gray water onboard, use

shore-side showers, dishwashing stations & laundry facilities whenever possible.

• Check product labels & use low-nitrogen & low-phosphorous detergents onboard.

• When using cleaning products, use more “elbow grease” than cleaning products.

Aquatic Nuisance Species – ANS

Environment – Sec. 2

Requirement: Quartermaster 12c.• Explain what aquatic nuisance species are &

how you can help stop their speed.

ANS

AQUATIC

NUISANC

E

SPECIES

• Alien species of plant or animal whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.

ANS – Definition

• Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta).

• Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata).

ANS – Example Species

• Water Hyacinth (Eichnornia).

• Channeled Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata).

ANS – Example Species

• Red Lionfish (Pterois voltans).

• Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)

ANS – Example Species

ANS – How Harmful Are They? • One of the largest threats to our terrestrial,

coastal & freshwater ecosystems.• Can affect aquatic ecosystems directly or by

affecting the land in ways that harm aquatic ecosystems.

• Represent the second leading cause of species extinction & loss of biodiversity in aquatic environments worldwide.

• Also result in considerable economic effects through direct economic losses & management/control costs, while dramatically altering ecosystems supporting commercial & recreational activities.

ANS – Things To Do

• CLEAN off any mud, plants & animals from boats, trailers & equipment.

• DRAIN your boat & equipment away from the water.• DRY anything that comes into contact with the water.

ANS – Things To Do