Best Management Practices

Dear Guests, Customers, and Affiliated Customers,

We have some important issues that need to be addressed. Please read this notice carefully as it is extremely important to all of us.

While we strive to remain a user-friendly Marina and boatyard, the marine industry continues to be under increasing pressure from regulatory bodies and our own desires to keep everyone safe and to preserve our environment and the bay we all enjoy so much.

The EPA, DEM, OSHA, Fire Marshall and other regulatory bodies continue to pressure boat yards and marinas to comply with many regulations. While they are too numerous for us to list here we are highlighting some of the more important ones that require your cooperation. All must be aware of the regulations, proper safety procedures and protection of the environment. These laws are well intended and by following them we can all do our part to eliminate or reduce environment pollutants flowing into the soil, water and air.

As a reminder, guests of Conanicut Marine must adhere to the following Best Management Practices (BMPs):

All operations requiring the sanding, stripping or grinding of paints must be done in a manner that contains the dust and debris generated by the operation. This can be with self-containment equipment such as a high quality vacuum sander or by tenting including ground cover and containing all dust and particles generated by this operation. This must be tight with no leakage and must not be performed on windy days when sanding cannot be reasonably contained.
No one, other than Conanicut Marine employees, is permitted to grind, cut or drill lead. Please contact the yard should any of these activities be required. Grinding, cutting or drilling of lead must be done in a manner that contains 100% of the lead particles and be sent to a properly licensed facility for disposal in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
All full or empty Aerosol cans are regulated waste and cannot be put into the regular trash dumpster. Please remove these from CMS property immediately after use.
Paint Cans - All empty or partially full paint cans (or containers containing solvents or any other coating material) must be removed from CMS property immediately after use. Never discard any solvent, paint, stain or coating into sinks, on the ground or into the bay or into a dumpster.
All rags used to wipe solvents are regulated waste and must be disposed of properly and not put into the regular trash dumpster. Use the drop box at the waste area at the Taylor Point facility or remove from CMS property immediately after use.
All used poly film and/or shrink wrap must be recycled. Bags are available at the 20 Narragansett Avenue Ship Chandlery. Remove the “belly band” before packing.
Any ladder used to board a boat while on land must be tied off at the foot and the top of the ladder and must extend a minimum of three feet above the sheer or transom that you are climbing onto at an angle of approximately 75 degrees. Conanicut Marine will dispose of any ladder found not to comply with CFR 1926.1053 (27)(b)(1), and/or any ladder with broken or damaged rungs or any unsafe conditions.
To minimize spills and drips due to oil changes a no-spill pump system should be used to draw crankcase oils through the dipstick tube. Used oil, fuel and oil filters and oily rags are regulated and must not be put into the trash dumpster. A plastic bag should be placed over used oil filters prior to their removal to capture any drips. Waste oil and filter disposal containers are located at the Taylor Point facility. Please contact a CMS employee for assistance. Always transfer waste oil from your boat to the waste receptacle in closed containers.
Absorbent booms and pads are stored in the gas dock and in the CMS/Fire Dept. trailer at Taylor Point. These are to be used by CMS personnel or anyone who may be responding to a leak, spill or sudden oil discharge. These are for emergency use only. Do not use these unless there is an emergency situation. Our ship store/chandlery stocks these items for customer use.
Use oil absorbent pads to remove petroleum from oily bilge water. Used sorbents are not to be placed into the dumpster. See CMS personnel for disposal advice.
When fueling your boat please be sure to use the sorbent collar to avoid spills. Do not over fill or “top-off” tanks as fuel expands in the summer heat. Do not fill portable containers while they are onboard your boat. Place container onto the concrete fuel dock for safety reasons. Ensure that the filler cap is properly secured before the tank is replaced on board.
To minimize the impacts of anti-freeze CMS uses propylene glycol (pink) antifreeze. It is less toxic to the environment than ethylene glycol (blue-green) antifreeze.
Pressure washing is done at our Taylor Point facility over an area designed to recycle the wash water with ultimate disposal of sediments. Do not power wash your own boat – see CMS personnel for details.
Wash the boat hull above the waterline by hand. Cleaners and detergents must be phosphate-free and biodegradable. Avoid detergents containing ammonia, sodium hypoclorite, chlorinated solvents, petroleum distillates or lye.
Old batteries are to be taken to the pallet located at the battery shed at our Taylor Point facility. Never drain or intentionally crack batteries.
Dumpsters are only to be used to discard household waste. DO NOT place gasoline, engine oil, anti-freeze, paints, solvents, varnishes, pesticides, batteries, transmission fluid, distress flares or shrink wrap into a CMS dumpster. These items should be taken to the customer waste area at our Taylor Point facility or removed from CMS property immediately after use.
Recycling bins are conveniently located at each facility for disposal of recyclable bottles, cans, plastics, paper products and cardboard.
Contractors are required and customers are encouraged to wear proper safety equipment including eye protection and respirators when working on their own or on customer’s boats.
All subcontractors, vendors and customers must wear safety glasses while in any of our storage or shop buildings for any purpose.
All Subcontractors must have proof of current insurance – workers compensation, auto and liability naming Conanicut Marine Services Inc. as additionally insured, in an amount of $2,000,000 minimum, on file with the office at 20 Narragansett Avenue. All subcontractors must comply with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations and must sign in and out daily at 20 Narragansett Avenue.
All Subcontractors must have proof of training – Right to Know, RCRA and current certificates of training for work intended to be performed – on file with the office at 20 Narragansett Avenue.
There is no smoking allowed in any CMS building or vehicle at any time.
Customers are not permitted into the waste shed without a representative of Conanicut Marine present. No one under 18 years old will be permitted in the waste shed at any time. There is a drop off box outside the waste shed for our customer’s convenience. Please alert the Service Department at 423-7158 of your intentions.
Holding tank pump outs – Please be aware that Narragansett Bay is a NO DISCHARGE waterway. Holding tank pump outs are available, self-serve, at the Town Dock or call the Conanicut Marine Dockmaster to make arrangements for along side pump out boat service.

Any substance that has been identified here as regulated must be disposed of properly, and cannot go into the regular trash dumpster. Please bring these items and any other items to your home waste disposal or to the backside of the waste area located at the southeast corner of the parking lot at our Taylor Point facility. All regulated materials should be in appropriate sealed containers and labeled as to the contents. Please place the product, in its labeled container, into the appropriate section of the drop off box.

Thank you for your cooperation in these matters. If you have any questions about this notice, please feel free to call.

Sincerely,

William Munger

President