b'R emember when pollution in waterways was a big deal? Justthat foul the water. With plastics being the biggestlife below the waterline depends on all of us toaround our waterways.towardacleaner FOGHORN FOCUStwo years ago, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was featuredoffender,professionalmarinerswouldlikelykeep the water clean. prominentlyinthenewsandsprawledacrosstelevisionwant to stem the flow of single use plastics fromMakingacommitment screens, all over social media, and graced the covers of populargetting into the water in and around their placeIfyouofferanarratedtouraboutthelocalenvironment helps your operation is multiple magazineslikeNationalGeographic.Graphicimagesofheapsof business.marine life, include language about the dangersways:of trash bobbing about in the ocean in enormous swaths werewildlife face from pollution. Countless surveys show that employees horrifying and troubling, spawning questions of how this couldHOW TO KEEP WATERWAYS CLEANER appreciate and value companies that strive come to be? Add Receptacles on Docks, Terminals,PVA GREEN WATERS PROGRAM to have strong environmental policiesParking Lots, and Vessels A dozen years ago, PVA launched a best green With the coronavirus pandemic impacting literally everyone on theByhavingbinsforpeopletoproperlydisposebusinesspracticesprogram,WeAreTaking Last year, a study found that two-thirds planet, news of garbage patches have virtually disappeared. Sadly,oflitter,thechancesofpeopleusingthemEnvironmentalResponsibility/Stewardshipof consumers prefer eco-friendly brands the trash itself has not. totossouttheirtrashgreatlyincreases.The(WATERS).This no-cost, voluntary program City of Philadelphia did a study to definitivelyoffersguidanceandideastopromotegreener Embracing a commitment toward The garbage patch, according to theoceancleanup.com, covers antestwhetherhavingampletrashcansavailablepracticesforvesselsandfacilitiesownedandcleaner waterways in your community estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers, an areadecreased litter. No surprise to the city officialsoperated by PVA members. could be generate interest to local mediaPhasing Out twice the size of Texas, is comprised mainly of plastic that does not(orthethreeuniversitiesthatconductedtheToday, the PVA Green WATERS fleet has grownfor a positive news story about your safely break down and disintegrate.The millions of tons of plasticstudy)theyfoundthatwhengarbagecansareoperationthat enters the ocean primarily from rivers and the ocean debris,present people use them.to well over 350 vessels that, in normal years, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationscarry nearly 75 million passengers annually.TheGet started by downloading the Green WATERS Plastics (NOAA) National Ocean Service, is continuously mixed by windTwo mistakes that some businesses do is not havingpracticesthatmanyofthesevesseloperatorsPhase Out Plastics campaign logo here and add and wave action and widely dispersed both over huge surface areasenough trashcans available, or not emptying themfollowincluderesponsiblepollutioncontrolit your marketing materials and create signage and throughout the top portion of the water column.regularly. Both issue result in heaps of trash onmeasures. throughout your operation.the property. Trash receptacles should be placed It bears saying, as NOAA states, there are many garbage patchesin areas where your employees and customers areA new initiative for all PVA members to embrace where trash congregates to various degrees in numerous parts of thelikely to congregate or walk past.nowisthePVAGreenWATERSPhaseOut Pacific and the rest of the oceans. These natural gathering pointsPlastics(POP)campaign.Thiscampaignis Finally, if your community recycles, you should from Ourappear where rotating currents, winds, and other ocean featuresinclude a bin for recyclable materials, with signagedirected towards phasing out the use of single converge to accumulate marine debris, as well as plankton, seaweed,useplasticsonandaroundpassengervessels. and other sea life. And, as has been widely reported, debris foundexplaining what should be placed in the can.This involves many of the tips mentioned in this in any region of the ocean can easily be ingested by marine speciesarticle to begin to reduce plastic pollution in and Waterways causing choking, starvation, and other impairments.passenger Reduce Single-Use Plasticsproventhat Single use plastics are ubiquitous and dont fully Asbusinessownerswhoworkalongthewaterfront,disintegratesafely.Researchhas vessel operators have a personal and professional interest in cleanmicroplasticstiny beads of plastics from largerFor more information about the waterways.MostPVAmembershaveacknowledgedthatitsaproducts, such as bottled water containershavePVA Green WATERS Program,tough sell to customers to board a vessel surrounded by trash andbeenfoundinfishandothermarineanimals, foul-smelling rivers, lakes, and coastal regions. Passengers want towhich can kill them.click on the Member Resources BY KAREN RAINBOLT // FOGHORN MANAGING EDITOR experience the beauty of Americas waterways including healthytab at www.passengervessel.com. marine life and picturesque scenery. This is especially true in theByeliminatingplasticsfromyouroperation, age of social media where everyone wants to snap a photo of theiryou are taking a positive step towards solving the daily adventures and post it where friends and family will enjoy. Theproblem. Many PVA vessel operators have already prettier the place, the more cameras are in hand and in use.switched to selling reusable bottles (featuring their company name and logo) to passengers aboard Cleaningupwaterwaysisanexcellent,andimportant,stepintheir vessels and in gift shops. Other options thatIs Electric keeping it clean. Every year, usually in the spring in conjunction withsome vessel operators are using are sustainable/Earth Day activities in April, many communities organize clean-upreusableutensilsandcupsandplatesthatareRight For events. In 2019, when Bob Lawler was PVA President, he wrote arecyclable. Many companies have also eliminated FOGHORN article about participating in one of the regular riverplastic straws completely from their operations,You?clean-ups of Bostons Charles River (the river that was notoriouslychanging instead to sustainable (paper) straws or memorialized in 1965 song Dirty Water by The Standells) and thelids that dont use straws. hard work that dedicated river keepers must continually do to pull trash out of the water for the health, safety and enjoyment for the Add Signage and Verbal Messagesgreater Boston metropolitan area.Havingclearsignagetohelppassengersand employees better understand why it is imperative While clean-ups are very good, one must ask: is there a better way?that they do their part to keep waterways clean The answer to that is yessimply keep garbage out of the water inmay help keep your vessels and facilities cleaner, the first place. as well the waterways near you safer and healthier. Lets talk about itThiscreatesauniquesituationforvesseloperators.DuetoAsyourcrewmembersremindpassengersof proximity to waterways, vessel operators may be the last line oftrip hazards and safety equipment aboard yourTorqeedo Inc. T +1 (815) 444 8806defense against trash entering the waterways. It only makes sensevessel in verbal (or recorded) messages, try adding that PVA members may want to take a stand against the pollutantsreminders about the importance of disposing of171 Erick Street, Unit A - 1 usa@torqeedo.comtrash properly. Explain to your passengers that theCrystal Lake, IL 60014 www.torqeedo.com22 FOGHORN JULY 2021 23 FOGHORN FOCUS: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES'