| USA. Ohio’s Lake Erie marinas help keep waterways healthy with free Oil Eradicators |
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| Friday, 21 April 2006 | |
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Environmental news: Marinas along the shores of Lake Erie have begun joining the Ohio Clean Marinas Program to keep waterways healthy. Participating facilities are inviting boat owners to use best management practices, too, by joining the Ohio Clean Boater Program and providing a unique tool to help get them started. Shaped like a Walleye, the Oil Eradicator from Clean Water Solutions, Inc. will be given to each boater who signs the "Clean Boater Pledge." This unique "fish" is actually an open-cell foam carrier that floats on the surface of the water in the bilge. Specialized microbes present in the foam absorb and attack oil, fuel, and other pollutants, turning these dangerous materials into edible fatty acids, which then become food for fish and aquatic vegetation. Each Walleye lasts up to 90 days, so boat owners can pump out their bilges without damaging the environment. Clean Water Oil Eradicators are both absorbent and provide remediation, and can be used with a range of boat sizes. From the smaller, individually-packaged 5" Whale to the new 10" Walleye, Clean Water provides options for boat owners instead of "one size fits all." Because walleye proliferate in Lake Erie, Clean Water engineers customized their product for the Clean Boater Program to reflect the region's rich fishing tradition. As of April 2006, 12 marinas were certified as Clean Marinas, with an additional 18 marinas pledged to become members. With some 300 marinas on Lake Erie, a campaign is underway to illustrate the benefits of belonging to the Clean Marinas Program for the facilities themselves and the environment. The Clean Boater Program gets boaters in on the action, too, by showcasing best management practices on a more personal level. Susanne Homer, vice-president of marketing and sales for Clean Water, said everyone at Clean Water Solutions is proud to work with the Ohio Clean Marinas and Clean Boater programs. "Boaters understand how important it is to keep lakes and rivers healthy and as free from pollution as possible," she said. "By supplying an easy and effective tool to help boaters help our waterways, Clean Water Solutions actively participates in environmental stewardship." The Clean Marinas and Boater programs are a partnership among Ohio Sea Grant College Program, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Lake Erie Marine Trades Association. Funding for the Walleye Oil Eradicator comes from both the Ohio Clean Boater Program and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft. In addition to the smaller eradicators, Clean Water Solutions also provides products for fuel docks, marinas and commercial facilities. The 4'-long Orca and the 8'-long Big Blue model can be tied to a piling or post, or connected together for longer surface areas. A 24' Anaconda works great on the fuel dock. Clean Water Solutions is the National Marine Manufacturers Association 2005 award winner in the first-ever Environmental Innovation and the Boating Care & Coatings Innovation categories. |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 21 April 2006 ) |
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