Tourism has become Florida’s leading industry attracting millions of visitors annually to the Sunshine state’s beautiful beaches, wonderful state parks, lakes, wildlife, boating, and fishing. In fact, Florida is considered to be the Saltwater fishing capital of the world. This is due to the over 4 million Fish and Wildlife Conservation licensed anglers and thousands of individual commercial saltwater fishers in the state, contributing over $10 billion economic impact to the state. Fishing isn’t the only water attraction – the Florida recreational boating and marine industries produce an additional estimated $25 billion economic impact. To meet this demand there are over 2000 marinas located on Florida shorelines! Boating in Florida exhilarates our desire to play, live, experience, and explore the great wonders of the outdoors.
All this fun may camouflage how seriously Florida’s magnificent environment is in danger. Boats and marinas can at times contribute to releasing pollutants into our waters. Water pollution can occur when we discharge sewage from boats and when fueling vessels. Additionally, marinas must battle stormwater runoff from parking lots, boat washing, and boat maintenance. Marinas and general boating operations can disperse solvents, oils, sediment, and other pollutants that can find their way into our ground water and run directly into our waterways. You may think that one boat or a small marina does not contribute many pollutants. But with more than 900,000 boats registered in Florida, individual hazardous pollutants from boating and marina activity can quickly become a larger concern.
To protect Florida’s rare ecosystem, our quality of life, and the local economy, there are several steps marinas can take to address environmental issues. Marinas should file a permit with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection called a Multi-Sector Generic Permit for Stormwater Discharge (MSGP). KCI can help marinas file or renew a permit as well as manage, monitor, implement quarterly water sampling, and reporting. Our expert monitoring program ensures that your marina is protected from becoming a source of pollution.
Call KCI today, and let’s work together to protect our precious ecosystem so Florida can remain a cool state to visit, work, play, and live.
