Going Coastal Pumpout Maps Help Keep Local Waters Clean

April 17, 2012 - PRLog -- No one wants to fish, swim or boat in polluted water. The health and value of the New York State coastal waters are constantly threatened by pollution from industry, agriculture, and urbanization. Sewage discharges from vessels can degrade water quality, adversely affect public health and wildlife, and close swimming beaches.

The amount of bacterial pollution from one weekend boater's discharge of untreated sewage is equal to the amount from the treated sewage of 10,000 people during the same time period, according to the U.S. EPA.

Boaters should be aware that all New York waters of the Long Island Sound, Peconic Estuary and South Shore Estuary are designated as no‐discharge zones, where the discharge of treated or untreated boat sewage is prohibited.

Going Coastal Maps are free and available at area marinas and boating clubs. Visit Going Coastal’s website for a mobile phone version and an interactive pumpout map online at http://www.goingcoastal.org.

Using pumpout stations is an easy way to protect New York’s environment and natural resources. A pumpout safely removes sewage from a ships holding tank, preventing contamination of our local waters and aquatic life. So, by helping keep the Hudson River clean, you may be lucky enough to see a seal or catch a striped bass at your leisure.

The program is modeled after Going Coastal’s successful New York Harbor, Erie Canal and Hudson River pumpout awareness raising campaigns, which have informed over 100,000 boaters about accessible, free pumpouts in New York's waters since 2005.

Going Coastal, Inc. raises awareness of the coast’s immense value, promotes clean, safe access and fosters stewardship through outreach and education programs, blueway development, clean marina & boater education, and maritime cultural heritage publishing. Their EPA Quality Award‐winning waterfront access guide “Going Coastal NYC” provides the full panorama of our urban coast. Find all of these resources on the website: http://www.goingcoastal.org.

To help keep our waters clean, the Clean Vessel Act Program (CVA), passed by Congress in 1992, provides funds for construction and operation of sewage pumpout stations and dump stations for recreational boats, as well as for information and education programs that encourage boaters to use pumpouts. This pumpout map project was funded through a Clean Vessel Act grant provided by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation.
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Contact:  info@goingcoastal.org

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Going Coastal exists to help people experience the richness and beauty of the evolving state of urban coasts and increase awareness and participation by the public for safely and responsibly enjoying and preserving coastal resources.

Going Coastal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational, cultural and publishing organization dedicated to connecting people to coastal resources by raising awareness of the immense value of the coastal environment, encouraging a sense of community and common history and promoting preservation, protection and conservation.