Keep bilges clean and green
Boating Industry
Sunday June 1, 1997
Many marina owners have seen this scenario: A
boat owner is relaxing on his aft deck, enjoying the
sunset with a cocktail in hand. Suddenly, his boat's
trusty bilge pump kicks on and behind the boat a
rainbow appears on the water. But that's no
rainbow. Along the bootstripe and heading toward
the boat in the neighboring slip is a shimmering oil
or fuel slick that has obviously come from their
boat. The boat owner knows they're in trouble, and
instead of sticking around to see if they get caught,
they decide to take a sudden sunset cruise away
from the scene of the crime. This scenario is fast
becoming every boater's and marina owner's
nightmare. Or it should be. States are writing
tougher environmental statutes and enforcement is
no longer such a long shot. Under the U.S. Federal
Water Pollution Control Act, a boat owner can be
fined up to $10,000 for discharging oil or oily waste
into the navigable waters of the U.S.
Go to jail
But that's just for starters. For failing to report such
a discharge which, you, the marina owner, just
witnessed, you could receive a $10,000 penalty and
a year in jail. Then there's the cost of the cleanup,
which could actually dwarf the fines. However,
marina owners/operators and boat dealers can help
boaters avoid potential spill problems by stocking
the right bilge-keeping products and being a
counselor to their customers. A growing number of
marina operators are becoming increasingly
involved in actively helping their customers master
proper bilge hygiene. Marina owners, conscious of
their own responsibilities, wanting to maintain an
appealing facility and attuned to federal and state
regulations, whether by choice or by law, are
installing spill containment apparatus and oilreception
facilities. They are also instructing
boat owners on how to use various bilge cleaning
products on the market.
Most of the leading bilge cleaners on the shelves
today are biodegradable, which is desirable if they
do enter the water. They can be used as routine
maintenance products in the bilge if there's no trace
of oil, and because they are biodegradable, they can
be pumped out into the water.
Even if bilge cleaners never enter the water and are
pumped into a container and properly disposed of,
their biodegradable features are still a plus. Bilge
cleaners are formulated to dissolve the "gook" that
collects where stringers and cross members join the
hull. When combined with water, they work with
the gentle rocking of the boat. These products are
usually surfactant- or citrus-based and can be used
as an effective cleaner in a periodic maintenance
program, more effective than general purpose
cleaners or detergents. Jeff Tieger, president of
Starbrite, says household cleaners often have an
alkaline base that causes them to corrode wiring and
to attack gel coat. A class of cleaning agents that
should be avoided are solvents like kerosene or
acetone. As obvious as this caution may seem, some
boat owners still attack oil and grease
accumulations with these toxic, highly flammable
substances that are dangerous and environmentally
hostile. New "green" degreasers like Castrol's Super
Clean effectively remove build-up on engines. Be
sure to advise your customers that even if they treat
their bilge water with "biodegradable" cleaners, they
still can not dump that bilge water overboard. Under
most state laws, any oil dumped into the water is a
violation. This includes oil that has been "dispersed"
or "emulsified" by liquid bilge-cleaning products.
Just because the discharge pumped out by the bilge
pump doesn't leave a telltale sheen doesn't mean it's
legal.
Liquid bilge cleaners can break oil into minuscule
particles and can mix it with water much as
dishwashing detergents deal with the grease on pots
and pans but they can't eliminate it. It's still there.
And when it's pumped overboard, it still adversely
affects the environment. But it's easy to understand
why many boat owners are unaware of this fact.
They pour biodegradable cleaner into an oil-fouled
bilge and believe that they're doing their bit to save
the planet as they reach for the pump switch.
What is 'biodegradable'?
The culprit in all this is the word "biodegradable."
All it means is that the bilge cleaner itself is
biodegradable. If you open the top, bypass the boat,
and pour it directly into the water, you're clean. If
you pour it into the bilge, and it mixes with oil or
fuel before entering the water, you're guilty if not
under federal law, which prohibits discharges that
cause "... a discoloration of the surface of the water"
or "... a sludge or emulsion beneath the surface ..."
then at least in a growing number of states. While
some bilge cleaner manufacturers warn consumers
against pumping bilge contents overboard, it would
be good practice for all manufacturers to define "biodegradable" for buyers.
Let's say your customers play by the rules, and
instead of allowing the oil to enter the water
whether dispersed, emulsified, shaken or stirred
they soak it up with oil absorbers and throw them in
the garbage. However, what most customers don't
know is that oil absorbers must be disposed of
properly, which means delivering it to an oil
collection or recycling site hopefully your marina.
Advise your customers to use oil absorbent pads or
blankets to collect or stop leaks, and then use
cleaners to clean up what little mess is left over after
the pads do their job.
Absorbent and adsorbent pads, booms and pillows
soak up oil in bilge water. Absorbent pads allow the
oil to soak in, working the way disposable diapers
do some boat owners have even been known to use
diapers in bilges. Adsorbent pads and floating
booms or "sausages," are usually made of
polypropylene that repels water and attracts oil.
Pads, booms and pillows come from manufacturers
such as 3M, Star brite, West Marine, Eagle Products
and Applied Science, which has a 19" by 28" engine
drip pad. Placing a pad of some sort under
machinery will prevent slow oil, fuel and hydraulic
fluid leaks from fouling the bilge.
Pads and booms must be disposed of as if they were
containers of oil in other words, they can't go into
garbage cans and Dumpsters. Most high-volume
marinas have receptacles for these items. The oil
can be squeezed out of them and the pads and the
oil recycled.
Removing oil-soaked pads and booms from the
bilge can be messy and can result in some oil being
lost. Advanced Aquatic Products makes booms
Bilge Bud-e and Bilge Mate-e that transform fuel
and oil into a rubber-like solid, which eliminates
vapors and can make removal and disposal cleaner
and easier. Though they are still "hazardous waste"
if dumped, they can be incinerated.
Bugs to the rescue
Although the concept isn't new and has been applied
in the commercial marine industry and in spillcleanups
for many years the latest splash in the
bilge cleaner market is "bugs." Bugs are microorganisms
actually a blend of bacteria with an
appetite for hydrocarbons that eat oil. The beauty of
this approach is that the boat owner, ideally, is left
with nothing that's a problem to dispose of, although
no one can be completely sure that the legal
maximum parts-per-million level has been achieved.
If a boater finds they have a quart of oil in their
bilge water, they can pour a product such as
Biobilge from Bio-Concepts, ECP 79 from Earth
Care Products or BOE 505 from Benson, Inc.
directly into the bilge. Then, after waiting a day or
two, the oil or fuel will have been devoured, leaving
the bilge water clear and ready to be pumped out.
Wendy Heitzman, a detailer for Rybovich Spencer,
says that residual bacteria can leave an odor if
allowed to exist in fresh water. To eliminate it, she
recommends putting salt water or rock salt in the
bilge. However, Starbrite's Tieger says that
uncertain shelf life, uneven effectiveness due to
variations in temperature and salinity and the
possible release of hydrogen sulfide, which can
corrode electrical connections are possible
drawbacks of that method. Manufacturers and distributors
of bacteria-based bilge cleaners say that a proper ratio
of bugs to oil is essential and that time is required for the
feast to be finished. They consider their products capable of
producing virtually oil-free bilges if used as
preventive agents. Slow leaks can also be contained.
One microorganic product, Bio-Sok from Oil Spill Rem
contains its bugs in a bag. They're also encapsulated
and don't spring into action until the oil hits the
bilge, so Bio-Sok only works when it's needed.
When they've had their fill of oil, the bugs turn on
the bag itself and biodegrade it. All that's left is a
string. A similar product called Bio-Sock, distributed by
Carr-Scarborough, has been used in the commercial
marine industry for many years. Boat owners
concerned about the possibility of pumping oil
overboard might consider installing a sensor switch
for their bilge pump. Boat owners need to maintain a clean
bilge without accidentally polluting the environment and getting
into trouble. How they accomplish this goal is more a matter of
conscientious maintenance than of personal choice.
But as a marina owner, you can help, because when
it comes to products that can keep bilges green and
clean, there are plenty available to stock on your
shelves.
John Clemans is a senior editor at Motor Boating &
Sailing magazine of New York, N.Y. |
