EPA Cites MA Marinas for Clean Water Act Violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a series of enforcement actions aimed at marinas and boatyards in New England. The agency said its actions will reduce pollution and improve compliance with critical clean water laws at marina and boatyard facilities in Massachusetts.

“Marinas are critical to the economic vitality of numerous communities across New England, and it’s imperative that those communities have clean water to support local tourism and recreation, especially with summer coming,” said EPA New England acting Regional Administrator Deb Szaro. “EPA is committed to working with marinas to be good stewards for the benefit of the communities they support and for New England’s coastal waters.”

EPA will continue to actively inspect marinas and boatyards as the boating season starts in New England to ensure marinas and boatyards are fully complying with their obligations under the Clean Water Act. Industrial marine activity has the potential to contain significant quantities of pollutants in its stormwater, and polluted stormwater can have a detrimental impact on the surrounding water quality and aquatic life. Marinas also often store quantities of oil that require a facility to have a current oil spill prevention plan.

The recent enforcement actions cited six marinas for failure to produce documentation showing they had conducted routine facility inspections, assessments, or monitoring and had not submitted annual reports as required under the Clean Water Act. Four marinas also did not have current oil spill prevention plans. Two facilities were not in compliance with their stormwater permits for discharge of pressure wash wastewater. Fines ranged from $3,500 to $26,526. The marinas receiving fines were Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard, Ryan Marine Service, Prime Marina Vineyard Haven, Marblehead Trading Company, Liberty Marina and Beverly Point Marina.

Background Information: EPA website on industrial stormwater: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-industrial-activities

EPA website on Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure regulations: https://www.epa.gov/oil-spills-prevention-and-preparedness-regulations