{"id":63,"date":"2023-07-28T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.boatsmartexam.com\/blog\/\/?p=63"},"modified":"2024-09-13T21:57:39","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T21:57:39","slug":"protecting-the-marine-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.boatsmartexam.com\/blog\/protecting-the-marine-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Protecting the Marine Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Responsible boaters know that they risk polluting the marine environment. For this reason, boaters must follow both the federal and state laws that are in place to protect the marine environment and keep the waters clean.
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Unfortunately, the amount of garbage in U.S. waterways is increasing. Floating garbage damages your boat and is extremely harmful to the species living in the marine environment.
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It is against federal law to pollute the waterways. As a result, the minimum consequence for polluting is a fine and, in some states, imprisonment.<\/p>\n

Today we talk about how boaters can help protect the marine environment (while boating safely<\/a>) so we can all enjoy many more days on the water!\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Litter Laws for Boaters<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Federal law prohibits the release of waste matter of\u00a0<\/span>any\u00a0<\/span><\/em>kind into U.S. waters. This includes trash, garbage, oil, and other liquid pollutants. In addition, these rules apply to all boat types and depend on how far your boat is from shore.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Note:<\/em> It\u2019s always<\/em> illegal to dump plastic into the water.<\/p>\n

The Disposal of Toxic Substances<\/h2>\n

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act<\/a> prohibits the discharge of oil or hazardous substances into U.S. waterways.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a result, all boats with fuel-powered engines must keep oils or toxic waste on board the boat. The operator must keep the hazardous waste in a fixed or portable container and dispose of it at a proper reception facility. Oil discharge builds up easily in a boat’s bilge and subsequently discharges into the water. Therefore, hazardous substances should always be handled with extreme care.<\/p>\n

Boaters should have one of the following devices on board to safely contain hazardous substances and prevent them from spilling into the marine environment:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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