FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (January 4, 2013) – Two California boatyards will be recognized for their environmental stewardship and for achieving Certification as Clean Maritime Facilities in 2012 from the American Boat Builders and Repairers Association (ABBRA). The boatyards, Keefe Kaplan Maritime Inc. (KKMI) located in Point Richmond, California and Dana Point Shipyard in Dana Point, California, will be honored at the upcoming ABBRA Boatyard Business Conference taking place from January 16 -18 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“These facilities took on the challenge of implementing certain environmental practices and complying with a checklist of best management practices for boatyard environmental management to earn their certification,” said Peter Sabo, President of Camachee Yacht Yard in St. Augustine, Florida who is Treasurer of ABBRA and Chair of the Certified Maritime Facility Committee for the Association. He added, “Both boatyards serve as examples to boatyards around the country and deserve the recognition(s) they will receive for their efforts to keep our waters clean for today’s boaters and for future generations. ABBRA’s Clean Maritime Facility Certification is our stamp of approval and is only given following completion of the checklist and inspection by Committee representatives.”
ABBRA created the Maritime Facility Certification Committee to review and establish standards that recognize good practices across a range of functional areas in boatyards, and to encourage facilities around the country to adopt and adhere to them. The California Region Clean Maritime Facility certification is focused on environmental stewardship and was successfully implemented through an examination of many Best Management Practices (BMP’s), in partnership with other stakeholders such as California Environmental Protection Agency, California’s Department of Toxic Substances and their office of Pollution Prevention and Green Technology, California Coastal Commission, California Department of Boating and Waterways, California Department of Pesticides, City of San Francisco Health Department and San Francisco’s BayKeeper. The standards checklist is based upon the guidance from many sources such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The California Department of Toxic Substances also participated in development of the standards checklist, in addition to the cooperative contributions from ABBRA members.
About American Boat Builders & Repairers Association (ABBRA)
Founded in 1943, ABBRA is a national marine trade organization that represents, is dedicated to, and seeks to strengthen and encourage professionalism in the boat building, boat repair, and marine service industry.
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