REGATTA POINT, PERICO HARBOR MARINA
BECOME FIRST MANATEE COUNTY
'CLEAN MARINAS'

TAMPA - This afternoon, Tom Tramel, Director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Law Enforcement, recognized Regatta Point Marina and Perico Harbor Marina for the important efforts they performed to receive their 'Clean Marina' designations. This designation recognizes the marinas' commitment toward protecting and Florida's fragile ecosystem.

Clean Marina is a program originated by the DEP. Clean Marinas adopt safeguards that help keep solvents, sewage and fuel out of the water, while protecting manatees and other creatures that live in the water. The designation gives boaters recognizable, environmentally sound choices for service and mooring.

To meet both the letter and the spirit of our state's environmental laws, the DEP, in partnership with both private and public entities in the marine industry, developed a Clean Boating Partner-ship. First, and most importantly, the department and our partners want to ensure that educational information is provided to boatyards, marinas and boaters on pollution prevention measures.

"DEP understands that the marine industry is an important economic generator for Florida's economy, and the industry understands the importance of protecting our fragile ecosystems for the future," said Tramel. "I look forward to working with Regatta Point and Perico Harbor as well as other members of industry, to build stronger partnerships with associations and busi-nesses throughout the state. Working together, I am confident we can have a quicker and more profound positive environmental impact than government could achieve alone."

To achieve this designation, marina staff must attend a day-long workshop to become familiar with the Clean Marina Program requirements. The marina then performs a self-audit and com-pletes an action plan to implement the components of the program. They then contact the local DEP district office to have an environmental survey completed.