NY/NJ Baykeeper Launches Raritan Bay's First Pumpout Boat

Head Mistress will provide free pumpout service to area recreation boaters

June 16, 2010 - Keyport, NJ: NY/NJ Baykeeper launched the NY/NJ Baykeeper Head Mistress pumpout boat today at the Keyport Yacht Club.  The program is modeled after NY/NJ Baykeeper's successful Jamaica Bay Pumpout Boat Program. The NY/NJ Baykeeper Head Mistress will service recreational boat heads in Raritan Bay up to Perth Amboy, and in Sandy Hook Bay to Atlantic Highlands.

The goal of this program is to prevent recreational boaters from dumping their waste into our shared waterways, said Debbie Mans, Executive Director and Baykeeper.  Raritan Bay is a popular spot for boaters and we want to do our part to prevent pollution from reaching the Bay, as large numbers of recreational boats can contribute to seasonally high fecal coliform counts.�

Thanks to funding from multiple sources, this service free of charge to all boaters on a first come, first served basis, said Amy Testa, NY/NJ Baykeeper. We hope that the Head Mistress will reduce sewage pollution by providing boats with a convenient and sanitary way to empty their heads, rather than dumping directly into our shared waters.�

Middletown Mayor, Gerard P. Scharfenberger, noted that the addition of the pumpout boat service will go a long way toward helping maintain and preserve the bay environment for all those who utilize the wonderful resource.

This project is funded by the Clean Vessel Act, IBoatNJ, Keyport, Hazlet, Atlantic Highlands, Matawan, Perth Amboy, and Middletown. Special thanks to John Olsen at Olsen's Marina for providing the mooring. The project was made possible thanks to a loan from the Keyport Yacht Club. Ed Mustra , Keyport Yacht Club Rear Commodore, said that the Keyport Yacht Club was very proud to have partnered with the Baykeeper since the beginning of this project.

We dedicate this boat to all the Ospreys, Horseshoe Crabs, Harbor Seals, Bluefish, Striped Bass, Crabs, Eels, shorebirds, and other estuarine wildlife that are our neighbors and make the boat such a wonderful place to live, said Joe Reynolds, Bayshore Regional Watershed Council. The pumpout boat will help all species of the bay better enjoy and thrive in our waters.�

To schedule an appointment with the pumpout boat operator call (732) 832-1499. If you are on the water the pumpout captain can be reached on Channel 9. To find out more information about NY/NJ Baykeeper and the pumpout program, please contact Amy Testa at (732) 888-9870 or testa@nynjbaykeeper.org.

NY/NJ Baykeeper's mission is to protect, preserve, and restore the ecological integrity and productivity of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary, its tributaries, and watershed. As the environmental advocate for the Estuary and its shores for over twenty years, Baykeeper has been a leader in preserving urban natural lands protecting public access, bringing citizen lawsuits against polluters, and restoring wetlands, stream banks, and oyster beds.  The Hudson-Raritan Estuary includes Raritan, Newark, New York, Jamaica, and Sandy Hook Bays and the Shrewsbury, Navesink, Hudson, Hackensack, and Passaic Rivers. It is home to hundreds of species of birds, fish, plants, and invertebrates.  Please visit us at www.nynjbaykeeper.org and join us on Facebook.

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