KNOW YOUR PERMIT: Print a hard copy from the MD Department of the Environment's website, and read it to learn all you need to know.
COLLECT AND TEST: Boat bottom washing must take place over some type of containment (portable mat, permanent pad) and be filtered. IF the marina discharges the water ground or surface waters of the state, samples must be collected and tested by a lab twice between September and December. READ PAGE 15 OF THE PERMIT.
MEET LIMITS TO DISCHARGE THE WATER: Limits on Total Suspended Solids (50 PPM) and Oil and Grease (15 mg/l) took effect March 1, 2013. Amounts in wash water must be below these limits to be discharge to ground or surface waters.
REPORT: Transfer the lab testing results to a "Discharge Monitoring Form" , provided by the MD Department of the Environment. READ PAGE 24 OF THE PERMIT for instructions on where to file the "DMR."
LOOKING AHEAD: Boatyards and marinas should prepare to cease discharging the water from washing boat bottoms by February 2015. New limits for the amount of copper, zinc, and lead allowed in the discharge take effect March 1, 2015. See PAGE 15 of the Permit.
NOTIFY: Immediately notify the MD Department of the Environment when a facility ends its discharge of boat washing waste water. At that point, testing and DMRs are no longer required! Contact Ed Gertler at 410-537-3651 for more information.
UNDERSTAND THE PENALTIES: Penalties for not complying with the Permit, which is regulated by the Federal Clean Water Act, start at $2,500 per violation, per day and go up to $1,000,000 and jail time.
To learn about the Permit, and for help with all aspects of complying with the new rules, visit the Clean Marina Program webpage.