Grants Help Clean Waterways

Boating

The Clean Vessel Act Pumpout Grant Program, now in its third year, is helping keep America’s waterways free of human waste.

Administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the program has provided 44 states with $18.8 million in funding for construction of 1,211 pumpout and 629 dump stations.

Pumpout stations pump waste out of recreational boat holding tanks. Dump stations are used to empty portable toilets.

Discharging human waste introduces disease carrying microorganisms, posing health risks for swimmers and individuals who consume shellfish taken from contaminated waters. Decaying waste also reduces oxygen levels in the water that diminishes the vitality of the marine environment.

The program is financed through the Sport Fish Recreation Account of the Wallop-Breaux Fund. This fund results from federal fuel taxes paid by boat owners, a 10 percent excise tax on fishing equipment, a three percent tax on electronic trolling motors and sonar fish finders, and import duties on fishing tackle and pleasure boats. Info: Washington State Parks, (206) 753-5757.