Waterfront challenge prompts Sea Scouts to action

Sea Scouts, from left, Chase Lundmark, Shawn Sovie, Nate Cullinan, Maggie Olson and Boo Van Edwards ensure oil at a recycling station meets EPA code.
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Sea Scout Ship 41 of Bay Village has again taken up the Interlux Waterfront Challenge. Interlux is an international yacht paint company, a division of AkzoNobel Corporation with U.S. headquarters in Strongsville. Interlux is offering grants up to $20,000 for the best waterfront environmental improvement.

Prompted by the fact that one gallon of oil can pollute over one million gallons of drinking water, the Sea Scouts have focused their Interlux Waterfront Challenge project on marina oil recycling stations. Their research has found that most local marinas are exposing themselves to costly Ohio EPA fines.

By improperly labeling their oil recycling stations, they are in violation of federal law and the Ohio Clean Marina pledge that states oil storage tanks must be labeled "used oil." To assist the marina industry in meeting the law, the Sea Scouts – with the aid of Mark Tangry of Lake Graphics, Label & Sign in Avon – are providing decals for marina oil tanks at cost.

Used oil, once recycled, is becoming an important resource for firms like Safety Kleen in the production of their Eco Power motor oil. Recycled oil is purer than virgin oil and now counts for 12-15% of all lubricants.

The scouts have also designed and tested a prototype portable hand-operated crusher to remove oil from used oil filters. This in turn removes oil from landfills and converts the filter into recyclable scrap steel. Trials of the prototype have been very successful and it is hoped that a working crusher will be installed at a marina in time for the winter boat haul-out, a time when most boat maintenance is completed. Details of the Sea Scout project may be followed at scoutswaterfrontchallenge.blogspot.com.

Sea Scouting promotes boater safety, education and good citizenship to young adults nationwide through the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America. Information on joining Sea Scouts can be obtained by emailing skipper@seascoutship41.org.