[OSMB-News] News Release -First Ever Upland Pumpout Facility Seen to Fruition

[Ashley Massey]

For Immediate Release	Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2009

First Ever Upland Pumpout Facility Seen to Fruition 

	It was late 2004 when Marl Carter, General Manager for Staff
Jennings in Eugene, contacted the Marine Board to discuss the concept of
a regional pumpout that could be used by trailered motorboats.  For
years, boaters who wanted Staff Jennings to winterize their boats had to
be turned away if they had full holding tanks.  This proved frustrating
for boaters and for Staff Jennings.  
           So, Marl contacted the Marine Board with his idea: a
centrally located and land-based boat waste pumpout where trailered
boats could empty their holding tanks.
With only one pumpout located at Fern Ridge Reservoir (at Richardson
Park) to serve eight major waterbodies -plus the Willamette River, it
seemed to Marl that the need was certainly there for more waste
collection facilities.  Plus, RV dump sites are not suitable because
they function based on gravity discharge whereas a suction pump is
needed to remove waste from boats holding tanks.  He knew it was
unlikely that very many boaters would go out of their way to stop at
Fern Ridge and re-launch their boat just to use the pumpout.  Marl met
with the Northwest Outboard Trailer Sailors (NOTS) boating club to
explore the need for such a facility.  With positive feedback from NOTS
members, OSMB worked to persuade the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who
administers the Clean Vessel Act funds, to approve a demonstration
project to see if the concept would work.  Marl supported the effort
with a letter-writing campaign tapping into local boaters, law
enforcement, boat dealers, and boating clubs to support the construction
of an upland pumpout.  By late 2006, the Marine Board received approval
from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to begin the project.  The
challenge was finding a good location with easy access for boaters
coming off the water but not too far out of their way to be
inconvenienced.  Marl suggested the Lane County Sewage Treatment Plant,
located on River Avenue, in Eugene.  It already had an RV collection
site.  When Marl heard of the design plans, he started to think, “This
could really be something…with stairs, an ADA accessible ramp and a deck
that’s the right height to access the boat deck fitting, what a
benefit for boaters!” 
          The Marine Board approached the City of Springfield to
discuss the project.  The addition of a boat waste pumpout station would
not change the existing layout or use of the RV dump station that both
RV and boaters could use.  A fantastic service for RV drivers pulling
their boats…one-stop dumping!   The city agreed that it made sense to
add a boat pumpout to the existing RV dump station and asked the Marine
Board to work with an intergovernmental entity called the Metropolitan
Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC).  In 2008, the MWMC would
ultimately submit the grant application to the Marine Board for the
upland pumpout in Eugene. 
         The demonstration CVA project timeline was established for
three years (2009-2011); the first year, construction would take place
and educating boaters about availability; second year, publicize and
measure use and the third year; continue outreach and promote the easy
access by vehicle to this pumpout.  
         In 2008 the Marine Board approved $20,000 of state boater
funds combined with $60,000 in federal Clean Vessel Act funds and
$10,000 of in-kind contributions for a project total of $90,000 to
MWMC.
        “If it weren’t for Marl posing his simple question five
years ago, this facility would not exist,” says Janine Belleque,
Boating Facilities Grant Coordinator for the Marine Board.  “Marl got
us motivated to explore a project we hadn’t handled before and one
that made sense on so many levels.  Without his leadership, perseverance
and determination, we would not have had much of a case to compete for
the federal dollars.  This is the first upland boat pumpout of its kind
and we encourage all boaters who have holding tanks or portable toilets
to use it.  It’s free and it’s in a great location for easy
access.” Belleque adds.
        Marl says, “It took a long time to get this project going and
it’s been my baby.  Now it’s finally here.”     
###

Media Note: Photos are available.  Contact Ashley Massey if you would
like pictures.


Ashley A. Massey
Public Information Officer
Oregon State Marine Board
503-378-2623
503-378-8587 ext. 82623
ashley.massey at state.or.us

"Clean, Drain and Dry your boat to prevent the spread of aquatic
nuisance species."