b'LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORPVAs Commitment to theAT THE HELMEnvironment Spans DecadesJOHN GROUNDWATER // EXECUTIVE DIRECTORE arth Day is celebrated annually on April 22. It con- The PVA Green WATERS is a voluntary program designed tinues to visibly mark the pivotal moment in theto aid passenger vessel operators efforts towards running environmentalmovementshistoryintheUnitedmore environmentally friendly businesses without causing States and around the world since its inception in 1970. financial or operational strain. The ever-evolving program is intended as a guide since each operation and vessel is Popularized by the growing public consciousness about thedifferent. Operators can implement the practices that are planetsecologicalimportanceandtheimpactofhumanmost applicable and effective for their business.activities on the environment. Earth Day was first started by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, who was troubledThisprogramisnowwidelyacceptedacrossPVA,and by the consequences of an enormous oil spill in Californiaparticipatingvesseloperatorshavedemonstratedtheir in 1969. Senator Nelson sought to channel public aware- commitment to responsible environmental stewardship by nesstowardsenvironmentalprotection.Heproposedaadopting the tenets of the PVA Green WATERS program. nationalteach-inontheenvi- Most PVA operators are already ronment,whichevolvedintodoing many of the practices the the first Earth Day. The eventBorgstrom formed aprogram recommends.stimulated significant environ- working group made up of mentallegislationintheU.S.,GREEN WATERS BEST dedicated PVA membersGREEN BUSINESS including the establishment of theEnvironmentalProtectionwho committed time,PRACTICES MANUALAgency (EPA) and the passageenergy, and expertiseAspartoftheprogram,PVA of the Clean Air, Clean Water,hasdevelopedamanualthat andEndangeredSpeciesActs.to developing what haswillefficientlyguideprogram EarthDayssuccessmarkedabecome known as the PVAparticipantsthroughtheof-turningpointintheNationsten-complex world of green en-recognition of the importanceGreen WATERS Program. vironmentalism.Throughcase oftheenvironmentandthestudiesandconcreteexamples need to protect threatened nat- that are tailored specifically to ural resources. Earth Day also served to embed environmen- the passenger vessel industry, this central document allows tal concerns into the national dialogue which continues tooperatorstoquicklyunderstandhowenvironmentally advocate for sustainable and eco-friendly practices. friendly practices can be quickly adopted. The manual will alsohelpmembersunderstandthepositiveimpactthat In 2008, PVA President Michael Borgstrom felt stronglysuch practices have upon public opinion. that PVA needed to take the bold step of developing and implementing an environmental program for PVA mem- GREEN WATERS BEST GREEN BUSINESS bers to easily use to adopt green practices in their business- PRACTICES CHECKLISTes. Accordingly, Borgstrom formed a working group madeIn addition to the Best Green Business Practices manual, up of dedicated PVA members who committed time, ener- the PVA Green WATERS program also includes an easy-gy, and expertise to developing what has become known asto-usechecklistformemberstoassesstheleveloftheir the PVA Green WATERS Program. environmentalstewardship.Youcanaccesstheonline Continued on page 517 APRIL 2024'