Boatyard permit to be revised for 2016

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The Port of Port Townsend boatyard, a significant economic driver in Jefferson County, is allowed to operate because it complies with a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

The required permit, a result of the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972, is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which delegates responsibility for the NPDES permit program to the state Department of Ecology. It's a general permit that covers boatyards throughout the state, including SEA Marine at Point Hudson and the Port of Port Townsend Boat Haven. The current iteration is effective from June 2011 until May 31, 2016.

The permit regulates how wastewater is monitored for pollutants, such as copper and zinc, before it is discharged into Port Townsend Bay.

Jim Maroncelli of the Department of Ecology is the primary author of the revised permit, which takes effect June 1, 2016.

YARD PAVEMENT?

The prospect of paving the port's boatyard was raised in the election campaign between port commission District 1 incumbent Steve Tucker and Diana Talley, a marine trades business owner. Paving is put forth as one possible solution to the problem of excessive dust in the boatyard.

Asked about paving the boatyard, "there are better ideas," Maroncelli said. "Ecology's policy is to try to encourage people to ... let rainwater soak into the ground, because when it runs off, it carries [pollutants] with it."

Asked what the port could do to ensure its permit is renewed in 2016, Maroncelli said, "make sure the application is submitted on time." The application is due Dec. 2, 2015.

The revised permit, to be sent out in mid-December, has two changes, Maroncelli said. Ecology is to begin "strongly encouraging people to be submitting information electronically," he said, meaning the monthly monitoring data. Electronic submission can help Ecology keep track of stormwater pollutants more efficiently, he said.

Another change to the permit is a greater focus on documenting potential sources of lead, Maroncelli said.

Regarding the Port of Port Townsend's use of biochar to filter stormwater, Maroncelli said it's "a relatively new idea," and discussed studies done by the Puget Sound Partnership and the University of Washington on the use of different kinds of media to absorb pollutants.

"They demonstrated that if ... stormwater is allowed to soak through a mixture of certain organic materials," including bark, pollutants are absorbed, he said.