The ocean’s cleanliness must start at home
Ahoy.
The oil tanker, American Trader, made huge headlines when her hull
was ruptured while anchoring offshore Huntington Beach and thousands
of gallons of oil leaked out the fissure, threatening our local
shorelines. The ship’s owners paid millions of dollars in cleanup and
fines, and fortunately the spill did not duplicate the Exxon Valdez’s
spill effects in Alaska. It is easy to place all the ocean’s
petroleum pollution problems on the tankers and offshore drilling,
but we need to first look very closely at ourselves.
Annually, nearly 85% of the 29-million gallons of petroleum that
enter North American ocean waters is the result of human activities,
reports the National Research Council of the National Academies. A
study was sponsored by the U.S. Minerals Management Service, U.S.
Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, American Petroleum Institute and the
National Ocean Industries Assn. that showed less than 8% is from
tankers and spills from pipelines.
The report concludes that it is the consumers of oil who are
responsible for oil in waters through land-based runoff, polluted
rivers, airplanes and small boats and jet skis.
The marine engine manufacturers and the Jet Ski industry are both
aggressively promoting their new environmentally regulated marine
four-stroke engines, replacing the older technology of the two-stroke
engines found in jet skis and outboards. Additionally, I wonder about
the amount of fuel that is legally dumped from the military and
commercial jets while in flight over the ocean. Even in an emergency,
a vessel is never allowed to release petroleum into the waters, yet
it is acceptable to dump from the air.
The nightly news clips of seabirds swimming in oily water usually
get the most attention, but the study points the finger directly at
the landlubbers who are the worst offenders, harming our waterways
with oil runoff from their cars and trucks and the development of
more roads and paved areas. It is easy to look the other way and
thinking “ah, this one time will not matter,” but the 2000 census
reports that there are more than 2.8 million people living in Orange
County (2.8 million times x equals y).
When the topic of harbor or ocean pollution comes to the forefront
at most meetings, usually the first accusations are directed toward
the boaters. I think a couple of reasons account for this thought
process.
First, boaters are an easy target to point the finger at as an
identifiable source and boaters are unrepresented at most meetings
where there are many personal agendas. Secondly, lack of public
education to the existing laws governing boaters that are more
stringent than the laws shore side. Remember, all the inland waters
and 3 miles off any coastline are classified as a no discharge area.
That basically translates that nothing goes overboard into the water
from a vessel. Yet, storm drains discharge into the harbors and ocean
thousands of gallons a day with many people’s mentality being out of
sight and out of mind.
I am very supportive of the existing boater regulations, yet I
have been at meetings where a few wanted more regulations, inferring
once again it is the boaters causing all the pollution.
Then I think we need to expand the regulations to include all
water activities such as swimming, surfing and kayaking into the
Marine Pollution Act that governs boaters. Imagine a summer weekend
with 100,000 beach-goers who casually wade out in the water when
nature calls, and we have all seen a person lying sideways over a
kayak only up to their waist in the water. Logic dictates that
kayakers and surfers should be required to wear waterproof diapers
while enjoying their activities.
OK, I have been in the sun too long today, but listen to the
studies and don’t be quick to point your finger at the boaters. There
are areas such as those off Santa Barbara that have natural seepage
of oil into the ocean that account for a small piece of the equation.
As I sign off, who is taking bets on how long it will be until the
ducks return to the Grand Canal? I bet the quacking will return
before the end of the month.
Safe voyages.
* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist.
Send him your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story
suggestions via e-mail to Mike@BoathouseTV.com or BoathouseTV.com.
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