Maryland Clean Boating Lesson Plan Section 1 PETROLEUM CONTROL

Petroleum: Environmental Concerns  May float on surface, evaporate or settle to bottom.  Harmful or fatal to aquatic life.  Gets into the “food web” and is passed on.

Fuel and The Law  Discharge of oil prohibited by The Clean Water Act  Report Spills to USCG at  Spills subject to a $5,000 penalty  Don’t use soaps to hide a spill—they make it worse.  $25,000 penalty for hiding fuel spills  State law also prohibits discharges– may impose additional fines

Petroleum: Fueling Practices  Know your tank capacity  Always stay with the fuel nozzle.  Fill to no more than 90% capacity– listen and pay attention as you fuel.  Fuel expands as it warms up on your vessel  Fuel at the start of a trip, not the end  Fill portable tanks ashore  Use oil absorbent pads to catch drips  Slow down at the beginning and end of fueling

Petroleum Control: Fueling Practices  Always remember, safety first!  Extinguish all smoking materials  Shut down engines  For gas engines, close off access to enclosed compartments and remove passengers during fueling  For gas engines run the blower for several minutes before restarting.

Bilge Maintenance and Oil Changes  Discharge of oily water is illegal  Use oil-sorb pads in bilge and engine compartment to keep clean.  Replace oil-sorb pads regularly  If you use soaps in the bilge, pump them into a bucket and dump in a sink ashore. Don’t pump overboard.  Keep engine well tuned

Disposal of Oil Absorbent Materials  Depends of type of material and how it was used Regular absorbent pads or booms:  saturated with gasoline–air dry in a safe location and reuse  saturated with oil or diesel–double bag in sealed plastic and put in regular trash Bio-remediating materials: OK in regular trash, but do not wrap in plastic

Emissions Control  Engine emissions contribute to ground level ozone–a health risk  Use oil/gas ratio recommended by engine manufacturer  Use gasoline with recommended octane level  Upgrade to direct-injected 2 stroke or a 4 stroke outboard when time to replace

Prevent Spills from Inboard Tanks  Air/fuel separators—prevent spills from fuel vents  Safety nozzle for portable gas cans  Fuel overflow containers— capture fuel vent spills  Bilge pump switches or filters–preventing oily discharge

Petroleum: In Case of a Spill  Stop the flow  Contain the spill  Call the USCG National Response Center at  Call Maryland Department of the Environment’s Emergency Response Division at